The Fairchild Affair
by Lord Dreadnault
Summary: (COMPLETE)FRANK AND JOE HARDY have been hired by a wealthy businessman to prevent the kidnapping of his 16- year old daughter. Why is she a target and what will happen? They must look to his mysterious past. Meanwhile: Nancy joins the case
1. Hired

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Official Disclaimer

  
  


The characters of Frank and Joe Hardy, Nancy Drew, and other characters associated with the books published by Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not owned by me in any way, shape or form. No profit is being made from this story. This disclaimer shall apply to all chapters following this chapter as well as this chapter. Thank You.

  
  
  
  


Author's Note:

  
  


I've always loved to read the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Now I'm going to attempt to write a decent fan fiction with both the Hardys and Drew in it. I hope you enjoy this story. Please read and review!

  
  


Thank You,

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Chapter One

Hired

  
  


The taxi cab dropped Frank and Joe off at the Fairchild building in downtown Denver. Frank glanced up towards the top of the massive building. At sixty stories it was the tallest building in the city. This was the center of the mighty Fairchild financial empire. Some said that Andrew S. Fairchild, the sole owner and director of the company was more powerful than many world governments. After a little research on the Internet about the company, Frank didn't doubt it for a second.

  
  


Frank glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes to nine. Plenty of time to report to Fairchild's office. He grabbed Joe who was gawking at an attractive woman walking down the street and the two walked into the door.

  
  


The two brothers approached the receptionist. "We're here to see Mr. Fairchild." Frank told her calmly.

  
  


"What are your names?" the middle aged lady asked.

  
  


"Frank and Joe Hardy." Frank replied.

  
  


The receptionist glanced down at a sheet on her desk. "Report to the sixtieth floor please."

  
  


The brothers thanked her and headed for the elevator passing various people in business suits and dress who were on their way to their offices. They walked into the elevator and Joe punched the button for the top floor. "So, what do you think Fairchild wants?" Joe asked Frank.

  
  


Frank shrugged. "I don't know. He said that some mutual friends had recommended us to him and would we please come to see him about a job."

  
  


"What kind of job?"

  
  


"He didn't say, although he did mention it was slightly dangerous. But then, he seemed to know about our past record and thought that we would be able to handle anything that came up." Frank answered.

  
  


"I wonder how he got all of that information?" Joe mused.

  
  


"He's practically the richest man in the world Joe." Frank said, "Getting the goods on us wouldn't be very hard for him."

  
  


"Whatever." Joe muttered as the elevator doors slid open with a small ding.

  
  


They stepped out into a medium-sized reception area just as another man was leaving. He wore a black three-piece suit. Frank glanced over his shoulder at the man as he walked towards the elevator wondering who he was.

  
  


A desk stood at one end of the room where another, younger receptionist sat. "You may go right in to Mr. Fairchild." she told them, flashing them a dimpled smile.

  
  


Frank and Joe walked into a large office. Every wall was covered with built-in bookshelves which were filled with books. A large window overlooked the city. At the center of the room stood a large and expensive desk. A man with raven black hair, bright blue eyes and a pale complexion sat at the desk. Frank estimated the man to be approximately in his late forties.

  
  


The man stood up and shook their hands. "Hello! I'm Andrew Fairchild. Thanks for coming."

  
  


"No problem." Joe replied.

  
  


"What was it you wanted to see us about?" Frank asked Fairchild.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild motioned for the brothers to sit down as he did. "I want to hire you to work on a case for me."

  
  


"What case is that?" Frank inquired.

  
  


"I believe that my sixteen year old daughter is in danger of being kidnapped." Fairchild said.

  
  


"I believe that this is more of a case for the authorities than for us." Frank said quickly.

  
  


"No, it isn't." Fairchild replied while fiddling with a pen. "I've had no threats, and there have been no attempts to kidnap her."

  
  


"Then why do you think she's about to be kidnapped?" Joe asked, wondering if the guy was just a bit paranoid.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild frowned in thought. "There are suspicions, whisperings, vague hints in certain circles."

  
  


"What do you mean?" Frank asked, his interest sparked.

  
  


"A friend of mine has. . . connections." Fairchild said hesitantly. "He's heard a few hints here and there. Some coincidences that he has run into. He saw fit to warn me. However, there isn't enough to prove that something is about to happen."

  
  


Frank nodded accepting the explanation. He could tell that Joe was still a bit skeptical. "We'll take the job." he told Mr. Fairchild.

  
  


"Good!" Fairchild responded. "The job pays fifty thousand dollars for protection until I feel that the threat has gone away."

  
  


"That's ridiculous!" Joe said. "What if you feel that she's going to be kidnapped sometime in the next five years?"

  
  


Fairchild looked at Joe disapprovingly. "The time period for the possible kidnapping is set within the next two to three weeks. Fifty thousand is plenty for that amount of time."

  
  


"Oh." Joe said, feeling embarrassed. He had been more worried about time than money. Now Mr. Fairchild thought he was greedy.

  
  


"Now back to what I was saying. If an actual attempt happens and you help to foil it, or rescue my daughter if it succeeds then you'll receive five hundred thousand dollars."

  
  


Frank's mouth dropped in shock. "That's a lot of money Mr. Fairchild. . . I don't feel comfortable taking that much."

  
  


Fairchild rolled his eyes. "We can negotiate then after the job is completed. The job also pays for expenses. Think you can handle that?"

  
  


Both Frank and Joe nodded affirmatively. 

  
  


"Good." Fairchild said. He proceeded to open a desk drawer and pull out a pair of pistols. "These are for you, as well as these pre-registered concealed weapon permits. Be careful with them and keep them concealed at all times."

  
  


Frank and Joe reached out to take the guns. One for each brother. Although Frank knew how to handle a pistol he always felt uncomfortable with one. "Thank you, Mr. Fairchild." Frank said.

  
  


Mr Fairchild nodded. "No problem. Just be extra careful with them." As if reading Frank's thoughts he continued, "If you feel uncomfortable with it, just keep it close at hand."

  
  


"We'll do that." Joe said.

  
  


"Good." Mr Fairchild said. "I think its time for you to meet my daughter."

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


"What shall we do today?" Bess asked Nancy as she exited the hotel room's bathroom. "Your father is away at his conference and we have a whole day to kill!"

  
  


"What did you have in mind?" Nancy asked, already knowing the answer.

  
  


"Shopping!" Bess replied instantly. "Maybe we'll even run into some cute guys."

  
  


Nancy rolled her eyes. Shopping was sometimes fun but with Bess around she got too much of it to suit her. "All right." Nancy said. "Where shall we shop?"

  
  


Bess picked up a tourist guide book from the coffee table. "This says that we can find some really good stores and restaurants in Denver. It even lists several."

  
  


"Lead the way." Nancy told Bess. "Just remember, we need to be back by three to rendezvous with my father."

  
  


"Of course, of course." Bess replied, not really paying attention.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


Mr. Fairchild led Frank and Joe through the other door in his office. They were now in a hallway. "Might as well introduce you to some of the staff as well." Fairchild said as he led them. 

  
  


He stopped at a open door and knocked on the frame. "John? Is Greg in yet?"

  
  


Frank and Joe looked into the office to see another man sitting at another desk. The man replied to Fairchild's question. "No, he's been showing up late for the past week. He'll show up in about twenty minutes most likely."

  
  


Fairchild frowned for a moment. "Okay," he said. Then he turned to Frank and Joe. "Frank, Joe, this is John Barcross, he is my assistant personal secretary. Greg, who isn't here, is my personal secretary."

  
  


"Nice to meet you." John said, smiling at Frank and Joe.

  
  


"Same here." Joe replied.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild led them down the hallway. "You'll be staying at my house of course, and here's Elayne."

  
  


They entered a private waiting room where a very attractive red-head stood waiting. She had sparkling green eyes and hair that fell just past her shoulders. "Elayne, this is Frank and Joe Hardy. They'll be looking after you for the next couple of weeks."

  
  


"Nice to meet you!" she said cheerfully stretching out her hand to shake Frank and Joe's.

  
  


Taking her hand and shaking it Frank smiled. "The pleasure is all mine."

  
  


Elayne smiled. She then turned to Joe and said, "What about you?"

  
  


Joe blushed. "Very nice to meet you," he managed to get out.

  
  


"Elayne will be showing you around and introducing you to everyone that you'll need to know." Mr. Fairchild told them. "She'll also provide your transportation."

  
  


Elayne beamed at the Hardy's as her father walked back down the hallway to his office. "Where shall we get started?" she asked them.

  
  


"Perhaps we should pick up our luggage at our hotel and drop it off at where we'll be staying." Joe suggested.

  
  


"That works." Elayne said brightly and began to lead them out of the waiting room. 

  
  


Just as they were leaving a harried man burst in the office carrying a briefcase. He nodded his head towards Elayne as he rushed by. "Who was that?" Frank asked.

  
  


"That's Greg Hales, my father's private secretary." Elayne answered as she led them to the elevator.

  
  


"Is he always in a hurry?" Joe asked suspiciously.

  
  


"No, not usually." Elayne said as they stepped into the elevator. "But then again, he's late and he is a stickler about being punctual so that's probably why he was so rushed."

  
  


"So," Joe said, "your father mentioned you were sixteen. Do you have your driver's license?"

  
  


"Yes!" Elayne replied. "How do you think I'm supposed to drive you around town?"

  
  


"We've handled cases like this before Elayne." Frank began. "Most the time the person we're protecting isn't to thrilled about it. How do you feel about it all?"

  
  


Elayne laughed as they stepped into the lobby. "At first I was a little irritated, but then when I found out my father was hiring someone cute I calmed down." She winked at Joe.

  
  


"Um, do you feel like you're in danger of being kidnapped?" Frank asked.

  
  


"No, not really." Elayne replied. "My father tends to be rather paranoid, but he is my father and I shall respect his wishes about my safety."

  
  


Wow, Frank thought, for someone who appeared to be so young that was mature. She led them to a blue convertible parked next to the curb and hopped in with Joe in the front seat next to her and Frank in the back. She pulled out and started down the busy street.

  
  


"Which hotel are you staying at?" she called.

  
  


"The Marriott." Frank answered.

  
  


"That's close," Elayne said, "we'll be there in no time."

  
  


As Elayne said, they arrived in front of the Marriott quickly. "I'll go in and grab out stuff," Frank told Joe, "you stay out in the car with Elayne." Joe nodded and Frank jumped out of the car and walked into the hotel.

  
  


He strolled over to the elevator and stepped in. Why did Andrew S. Fairchild think his daughter was about to be kidnapped. If there were indications or rumors abroad in the world, how did he pick them up? The biggest question, why was Elayne a target. Most certainly because her father was rich. But then, they would send warnings, or demand money so they wouldn't kidnap her or something? This case intrigued Frank and he had a feeling it would be perhaps one of his most interesting.

  
  


He stepped out onto the sixth floor of the hotel and strode to his room. He pulled out his electronic key card from his wallet, opened the door, and walked in. Something on the desk caught his eye as he walked to the bedroom. It was an envelope.

  
  


Funny, Frank thought, that wasn't there this morning. Perhaps the housekeeper left it. He picked up the envelope and opened it. It was a single sheet of notepaper with a message printed on it:

  
  


LEAVE TOWN- THE AFFAIRS OF THE FAIRCHILD FAMILY ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS- LEAVE OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES-

  
  
  
  
  
  


To be continued. . . 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. An Attempt

The Fairchild Affair

  
  


by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Chapter Two: An Attempt

  
  
  
  


Frank scanned the letter a second time. After doing so, he examined the envelope. It was totally blank. No return address, company logo, or watermark. The paper it was printed on was average printing paper. There was no way to trace where it had come from. 

  
  


Quickly he went into his room and grabbed his fingerprint kit out of his duffel bag. He returned to the desk and quickly dusted the paper and envelope for fingerprints. There were none but his own. The warning was the work of a professional. A normal criminal would have screwed up somehow, or would have just slid the note under the door. This one had broken in and left it on the desk without leaving any signs that anything had happened.

  
  


Frank frowned. Perhaps Elayne was in more danger than he had really thought. What he wanted to know was how Fairchild knew that his daughter was in danger. Frank slid the warning and envelope into his pocket and began to quickly pack. 

  
  


He took one last look at the room to ensure that he left nothing behind, locked the door and left. On his way out he stopped at the front desk to return his key card. The bill was already payed. On a sudden impulse Frank decided to ask the clerk a question. "Excuse me," he began, "did anyone drop by to inquire whether or not my brother or I were in?"

  
  


The clerk thought for a moment. "No, no one has inquired about you or your brother Mr. Hardy."

  
  


"Thank you." Frank said as he walked out towards the car. The culprit had either seen he and Joe leave the hotel or had known that they had an appointment with Mr. Fairchild that morning.

  
  


Frank slid into the backseat of Elayne's convertible after loading all of the luggage in the trunk. "Sorry I took so long, someone left us a note and that took a while," he explained.

  
  


Elayne grinned. "No problem, Joe and I were having an interesting conversation, weren't we?" 

  
  


Joe blushed and Frank rolled his eyes at him. "Where were you planning to go next?" Joe asked Elayne, trying to change the subject.

  
  


"I was planning to go pick up a few things at the mall, grab a bite to eat, and then head back to the house. Does that sound okay?" Elayne said.

  
  


"You're in charge," Frank answered, "we're just the bodyguards."

  
  


Elayne laughed merrily. "Whatever you say." she replied.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


"These packages are too heavy!" Bess complained as she and Bess walked through the crowded shopping mall. They had been shopping all morning. As usual Bess had bought about fifty things and now they were too heavy to carry.

  
  


"Then why did you buy it?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"It was a good price." Bess retorted.

  
  


Nancy rolled her eyes. "Shop until you drop," she muttered under her breath with amusement.

  
  


"What was that?" Bess said.

  
  


"Nothing," Nancy replied, "nothing at all."

  
  


"I'm starving, let's go get something to eat in the food court," Bess suggested.

  
  


Nancy smiled. Some things about Bess would always be the same.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


"There was nothing in the job description about lugging packages!" Joe groaned to Frank behind Elayne's back.

  
  


"Oh relax," Frank said calmly, "she's the one who's buying lunch for us anyway."

  
  


Joe grinned. "Free food!"

  
  


Frank rolled his eyes just before Elayne turned around. "That's all I have to pick up. Let's head to the food court."

  
  


Frank and Joe nodded their agreement and Elayne led the way to the food court. 

  
  


The trio soon arrived. "You two find a seat and I'll go order." Elayne directed them.

  
  


"Are you sure about that?" Frank asked, he didn't want to leave her unescorted in a crowded place if kidnappers were after her.

  
  


"I'll be fine!" Elayne countered before she walked off towards the food counter. 

  
  


Frank quickly scanned the crowd for any suspicious characters, seeing none he sat down with Joe.

  
  


"So what took you so long to pack?" Joe asked.

  
  


"This," Frank replied quietly. He took out the warning he had found and slid it across the table to Joe.

  
  


Joe picked it up and whistled softly. "These people mean business. At least it confirms Mr. Fairchild's suspicions."

  
  


Frank nodded. "What I want to know is how they knew we had been hired already. I also asked at the desk if anyone asked about us. No one did. This means that it is an inside setup."

  
  


"What about that secretary guy?" Joe asked eagerly, "What's his name? Hales or something. He was late to work today and Elayne said that he usually isn't late."

  
  


"I don't know," Frank said, "don't jump to conclusions. That seems too obvious for me."

  
  


"I still think it's worth looking into," Joe persisted.

  
  


"Yeah, maybe so." Frank agreed. 

  
  


Abruptly they pair heard a piercing scream. It was Elayne.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


Nancy dropped her sandwich as a girl shrieked. Someone was in trouble. Nancy jumped up and looked towards the scream came from. 

  
  


"What was that?" Bess asked as she jumped up and looked around.

  
  


"I don't know." Nancy answered distractedly.

  
  


Finally Nancy saw where the scream had come from. Two punks wearing ski masks and holding guns were trying to wrestle a teenage girl away. Abruptly two other men jumped into the fray. It was Frank and Joe Hardy! Of all people she should have suspected. 

  
  


"Come on Bess! It's Frank and Joe, we need to go help." Without waiting for Bess Nancy ran towards the fight. In no time at all she was in the middle of it. Frank and Joe were throwing punches at the thugs. Nancy place a few judo kicks and in a minute the would-be attackers were down.

  
  


"Fancy meeting you two here." Nancy said, out of breath.

  
  


Frank looked at her and grinned. "I didn't expect you either, Drew." Frank turned his attention away from Nancy and looked down at the girl that had been attacked. "Are you okay Elayne?"

  
  


The girl named Elayne looked up at Frank. "Yeah, I'm fine, just let me catch my breath."

  
  


Frank nodded. "Should I call your father?"

  
  


The girl shook her head. "No, I'll do that, thanks."

  
  


How did Frank know her name, let alone her father's phone number? Nancy shot Frank a questioning glance. Frank gestured letting Nancy know that he'd explain later.

  
  


Just then a pair of policemen huffed up and pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers. "What happened here?" the taller one asked.

  
  


"These bums here just tried to kidnap Elayne." Joe explained.

  
  


"So I understand," the cop replied taking a notebook out of his pocket, "my name is Bill Kimball by the way. I'm afraid that you'll all need to come down to the station to make statements."

  
  


Frank nodded knowing about the long and boring procedures that police put people through.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


Frank, Nancy, and Joe were all sitting in the reception room waiting for Elayne and Mr. Fairchild to finish making their statements. Mr. Fairchild had arrived at the police station at the same time as the rest of the party had. Elayne had called him from the mall. Bess had gone back to her and Nancy's hotel. The four men who had tried to kidnap her were being booked.

  
  


"So you were supposed to keep her from being kidnapped?" Nancy asked after Frank explained the whole morning.

  
  


"Yes, that was our job, and we didn't do so well, did we?" Frank said ruefully.

  
  


"You kept her from being kidnapped didn't you?" Nancy pointed out.

  
  


"Sheer luck." Joe mumbled.

  
  


They were interrupted when Elayne and her father came into the reception room. Frank, Joe, and Nancy stood up. "I guess that's the end of our job isn't it?" Frank said uncomfortably.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild shook his head no. "I'm afraid that it's not that easy Frank. Those would be kidnappers were merely hired street thugs. The person who hired them is still at large. Your protection is needed now more than ever."

  
  


"We'll do better this time," Joe mumbled.

  
  


"Better is always good," Fairchild responded, "though I feel that you did a fine job as it is."

  
  


"I though we botched it up, if it hadn't been for Nancy here they would have gotten away." Joe said.

  
  


"That's why I've decided to ask Miss Drew here to assist you," Fairchild said, "that is, if she'll accept the offer under the same terms you're being employed."

  
  


Nancy nodded eagerly. "I'd love too!"

  
  


"Good," Fairchild said, "you can start immediately, Frank and Joe will brief you, if they already haven't."

  
  


The three detectives smiled.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild nodded, "I thought so. I have to get back to my office now, you can take Elayne. I think it best that you should go straight to our home. She's had a terrible shock and probably needs rest.

  
  


Frank glanced at Elayne. She seemed fine, most likely, she would resist being taken home. "No problem sir." Frank said to Mr. Fairchild. 

  
  


"Good," Mr. Fairchild said. He walked out the door leaving the four teens alone.

  
  


"So where is home?" Joe asked Elayne.

  
  


Elayne groaned. "Let's go get something to eat first, I'm starving!"

  
  


"But your father said. . ." Nancy objected.

  
  


"Don't worry about that," Elayne said regaining her cheerfulness, "just something quick on the way. Right after that, we'll go home and I'll introduce you to everyone."

  
  


"Sounds good to me," Frank commented.

  
  


Nancy nodded. "I'll follow you guys in my car, we'll need to stop at my hotel so I can pick up my stuff first."

  
  


"Sounds good to me," Elayne said.

  
  
  
  


To Be Continued. . .

  
  


A/N: Sorry that there isn't a cliffhanger and all that. . . . :)

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Fairchild Mansion

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  


Author's Note:

  
  


Thank you so much for all of your support and reviews for this story. Many have commented on how it reminds them of the real Supermysteries- I'm glad it does because that is how I'm sort of trying to write the story. Some have warned against too much romance- Don't worry, the mystery is the main part of the story, not the romance- There will be of course a little, but just on the sideline, romance ISN'T the point of the story! Please read, enjoy, and review!

  
  


Thank You,

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  


Chapter Three: The Fairchild Mansion

  
  
  
  
  
  


Frank, Joe, and Elayne pulled up to a large gate that guarded a mansion that sat just outside of Denver. Elayne reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a miniature remote device and typed a code. The gate smoothly slid open. 

  
  


Elayne quickly drove through the gate with Nancy following in her own car. The gate slide shut immediately after Nancy's rental car cleared the wall. 

  
  


Frank whistled. "That's some tight security."

  
  


Elayne rolled her eyes. "Dad is a security freak. The walls and gate must have fifty different alarms and or security cameras on them. It's as if he thinks someone is going to wage war against us."

  
  


"Well, what with this kidnapping business maybe it's a good idea for tight security." Joe put in.

  
  


Elayne leaned over to Joe. "Walls, gates, alarms, and cameras are one thing," she whispered conspiratorially, "weapon caches all over the backyard and garden is another."

  
  


"You've got to be joking!" Joe exclaimed.

  
  


Elayne frowned as she pulled up to the front of the house, stopped, and turned off the car. "I'm dead serious! Come on, I'll show you." 

  
  


Elayne jumped out of the car with Frank and Joe following. Nancy walked up just as Elayne began to lead them around the front to the backyard. "What's going on?" she asked Frank quietly.

  
  


"Elayne is just showing us some of Mr. Fairchild's security measures," Frank told her as they reached a corner of the gigantic mansion.

  
  


They quartet soon arrived in one of the back gardens. There were flowers and hedges everywhere. Elayne looked around quickly to make sure that no one was watching. She then walked over to one of the flowerbeds and used her feet to scrape away the dirt that was covering a long sprinkler box. 

  
  


She pointed to it. "Open that up and see what's in there."

  
  


Joe obliged. He knelt down in front of the green sprinkler lid and pried it up. He looked in and his mouth dropped open. "Holy cow!" he exclaimed.

  
  


Frank and Nancy stepped up and looked in. There was two rifles, three heavy duty pistols, and two sub-machine guns. "That's some serious stuff." Nancy commented, "Is this the only stash around?"

  
  


Elayne shrugged. "It's the only one I know about. I found it once while I was playing several years ago."

  
  


"What did you father say?" Frank asked.

  
  


"I never asked him about it." Elayne replied.

  
  


"Why not?" Nancy inquired.

  
  


Elayne shrugged nervously. "When my mother died my father went into deep depression. When he finally cheered up, well, he was acting strangely."

  
  


"How was he acting strange?" Frank asked.

  
  


Elayne sighed. "I don't know, just in the way he did things. He never uses checks or credit cards, always cash. There are absolutely no documents around, anything important enough to keep is in a safety deposit box. Mainly he just has strange habits. Nothing harmful or anything like that, just odd."

  
  


"Did you ever talk to anyone about this?" Nancy asked sympathetically.

  
  


"I've talked about it a little with Amanda, she's just as puzzled as me. I talked about it more with Martin Webster though. He's a really old friend of my father's. After my mom died Martin showed up from my father's past. Apparently they'd kept in contact a little, but not much. He was around constantly until everything settled down. Anyway, I asked him about my father's strange behavior. Martin basically shrugged it off. He said not to worry. Martin referred to my father's strangeness as 'old habits.'"

  
  


"Old habits?" Joe said curiously.

  
  


"He didn't explain any further. After that night I never saw Martin again, until this week. Martin showed up and the next thing I know two amateur detectives are en-route to Denver to be my bodyguards." Elayne said.

  
  


Frank nodded thoughtfully. "Why don't you and Joe go unload," he suggested to Elayne, "Nancy and I will put all of this back."

  
  


"No problem," Elayne replied, "I'll meet you at the front."

  
  


Frank and Nancy watched as Elayne and Joe left. "So what do you think?" Frank asked Nancy, "The mother dies and the father goes nuts?"

  
  


Nancy shook her head. "Paranoia. I get the impression that Elayne was young and doesn't remember all that much about the death. I'd bet you anything that her mother was murdered."

  
  


"That sounds like a good theory," Frank said, "the mother gets murdered, the father gets paranoid that the murderer will strike again, at his daughter or him."

  
  


"That sounds right," Nancy agreed, "but, how does this Martin Webster fit in? Strange that he's around during the troubling times of the Fairchild family."

  
  


"I doubt he's connected to it, he's probably just an old family friend that shows up in their time of grief." Frank said.

  
  


"Whatever you want to believe Hardy," Nancy said smiling mischievously.

  
  


Frank grinned. "I say that one of us should stick around Elayne tomorrow, and the other two should go and try to find out some info about Webster and the late Mrs. Fairchild."

  
  


Nancy nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. However, maybe we kind find something right here at the mansion tonight."

  
  


Frank shrugged. "Maybe." Suddenly he felt a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. It was like someone was watching him. Frank turned towards the house quickly and looked. Was it his imagination, or had one of the curtains twitched? He shrugged and turned around to help Nancy re-stash Mr. Fairchild's weapons.

  
  


+|+|+|+

  
  


Frank and Nancy arrived at the front of the mansion just as Joe and Elayne finished taking all of her stuff in. "I suppose I should introduce you to some of the staff." Elayne told them. "Follow me if you please." 

  
  


The four teens walked into the large and well lit entry hall. "Let's see," Elayne muttered to herself, "the kitchen." She led the detectives to the kitchen. 

  
  


Frank, Nancy, and Joe followed Elayne into the large kitchen. Two women were sitting at a counter sipping some juice and talking. Frank estimated the beautiful blonde to be in her mid-twenties, and the older woman to be in her sixties.

  
  


Elayne introduced them. "Frank, Joe, Nancy, this is Martha Harper our housekeeper and cook," she gestured to the older woman, "and this is her niece who lives with her, Amanda Johnson."

  
  


The two women smiled. "Have you shown our guests to their rooms yet?" Martha asked.

  
  


Elayne shook her head, "We're just on our way to do that."

  
  


"When is Andrew going to be home?" Amanda asked softly.

  
  


Elayne rolled her eyes and grinned causing Amanda to blush furiously, "He had to stay late at work, he'll be home sometime after dinner."

  
  


Just then another man walked into the kitchen from another part of the house. "This is William Hertz, he's our chauffeur, despite the fact that we all drive ourselves around."

  
  


Hertz smiled. "Nice to meet you!" he walked up to the trio and shook their hands. "I also service all the cars and I'm the general handyman around here, chauffeur is just my official title."

  
  


Frank smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you Mr. Hertz."

  
  


"The pleasure is all mine," Hertz replied.

  
  


"I suppose I'd better show them to their rooms," Elayne said. 

  
  


She led them out of the kitchen and to the second floor. "So what was that with Amanda and you rolling your eyes?" Joe asked as they walked down the hallway.

  
  


Elayne giggled. "Amanda has had a crush on my father since she moved here with Martha. She was seventeen at the time. I suspect her feelings go a bit deeper now."

  
  


Nancy laughed. "What makes you think her crush went deeper?"

  
  


"Its obvious! Last year on my birthday, we all went out to eat at a pizza joint. We were all eating when suddenly my father tensed up. No one really noticed except Amanda and I. Then he said that he had to go and use the restroom. Dad walked off and was gone for about a half-hour. No one was seriously worried. Martha and Hertz were occupied and all of my friends were too busy talking about some new boy in town. However, after ten minutes, Amanda was seriously freaking out. She looked like she was ready to go and charge the bathroom and see if he got mugged or anything. 

  
  


"Weren't you worried?" Frank asked Elayne.

  
  


"Not really," Elayne answered, "I know that he can take care of himself. One time we were in New York City and someone tried to mug us. Dad's reaction was like something out of a spy movie. He lashed out with his hand and whacked the guy on the forehead and knocked him unconscious. Then we just left."

  
  


"Has he ever noticed Amanda's feelings for him?" Nancy asked. 

  
  


"My father has never noticed. If Amanda walked up to him and smacked him on the lips he wouldn't notice. He's too caught up in those 'old habits' to notice anything like that!" Elayne was giggling harder now.

  
  


Joe was rolling his eyes. Girl talk. "Where's the rooms?"

  
  


"We're here." Elayne said. She pointed to two doors next to each other and one across the hall. "Those are your bedrooms. I'll let you freshen up a bit and then we can find something to do." Elayne walked back down towards the kitchen.

  
  


"So what do you think?" Nancy asked Frank and Joe after Elayne was beyond ear-shot. 

  
  


"Strange guy." Frank replied.

  
  


"Especially if his daughter thinks that he disappearing for thirty minutes without an explanation is normal." Nancy agreed.

  
  


"Maybe he was in a gang and is trying to go straight but the gang won't let him!" Joe suggested.

  
  


Nancy rolled her eyes. "A high-class businessman Joe?"

  
  


"Nancy is right Joe," Frank said, "Fairchild is definitely high-class, if he was ever involved in crime it wasn't something like a street gang, more like the Mafia or something."

  
  


"I say that we go and check out his bedroom and his study. Maybe we can find out something about Fairchild's past." Nancy said.

  
  


They all quietly walked down the hall opening and closing doors until they found what appeared to be Fairchild's room. "You take the closet Joe, Nancy, you take the wardrobe, and I'll take his bed and bed stand." Frank directed.

  
  


The detectives searched in vain for about ten minutes. "There's absolutely nothing!" Joe said in disappointment.

  
  


"No kidding," Nancy agreed, "it's his room but there's nothing personal in it."

  
  


"Let's try the his office then," Frank said. 

  
  


The trio walked down the hall again searching rooms until they found what they were looking for. Andrew S. Fairchild's office. Again, the search was fruitless. The office contained only normal stuff that one would expect to find in a office, nothing personal.

  
  


"What does this guy have to hide?" Frank wondered aloud as they headed back downstairs to find Elayne.

  
  


"No idea," Nancy replied.

  
  


"So, what's the game plan for tomorrow?" Joe asked.

  
  


"I think you should stay with Elayne tomorrow. Nancy and I will go and check out Fairchild's secretary. He was late for work and he definitely had the chance to plant that note. Even Elayne said that he usually isn't late. He must have known we were coming and where we would be staying."

  
  


"Don't forget Elayne's mother," Nancy put in, "we should go and look her up."

  
  


"Sounds good to me," Joe said.

  
  


"How about a background check on Fairchild, I bet the Network could dig something up on him. Where he came from, what he did, how he's at the top of a large financial empire now." Frank proposed.

  
  


"What about the servants?" Joe inquired, "Did they know we were coming in on the case? Maybe one of them is in on the kidnapping."

  
  


"I don't know," Nancy said slowly, "we could have the Network look them up too."

  
  


"What strikes me as odd," Joe commented, "is this Amanda person. What teenager comes around and falls in love with a forty plus man?"

  
  


Nancy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Joe, do you honestly think that girl is a kidnapper? Fairchild isn't some old derelict. He may be in his forties, or even above but he's in extremely good shape. He has class, I think that it's perfectly fine."

  
  


"Besides," Frank said, "it could even be the chauffeur, the general handyman, if anyone could engineer a kidnapping it's him."

  
  


"No way!" Joe shot back, "It could be the housekeeper for all we know! What better than to show up, become the trusted housekeeper and bring along an accomplice posing as a niece?"

  
  


"What would a housekeeper want with kidnapping?" Frank replied.

  
  


"Hey guys," Nancy interrupted them, "who says it's an inside job?"

  
  


Frank and Joe shrugged. "Just speculating," Joe said.

  
  


"What strikes me is this secretary you told me about," Nancy continued. "He could be jealous of Fairchild, maybe he thinks that Fairchild cheated him some way and is out to get revenge."

  
  


"That's nuts!" Joe scoffed, "I'm telling you, the housekeeper!"

  
  


"Next you'll be saying it's the butler!" Nancy retorted.

  
  


"Hey!" Frank said loudly, "Let's cool it. Tomorrow we'll check out as many people as we can. If anything suspicious turns up, we'll look into it further. I say that we get Hales's home address and Nancy and I follow him to work tomorrow, we can see if he does anything curious. Remember how Barcross said that Hales had been late to work lately?"

  
  


Joe nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Okay that works. I'll be the bodyguard and you two check out all the leads."

  
  


"It's agreed then," Nancy said.

  
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Again, no cliffhanger- oh well, maybe I can arrange something next time. :) Please review now- it makes me feel like this story is worth my time. :) 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Background Checks

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


A/N: As always, much thanks to those who review the story. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Four: Background Checks

  
  
  
  


Frank glanced out the window of Nancy's rental car at the scenery as they pair drove towards Denver. He, Nancy, and Joe had agreed to have he and Nancy go to Denver and check out the background on their suspects. Joe was going to remain with Elayne at the Fairchild Mansion. 

  
  


"So, what's first on our agenda?" Nancy asked Frank.

  
  


"We should probably try to get as much stuff as we can without the Network's help." Frank advised, "The Gray Man has never been really anxious to give us lots of information. So, we can ask him about all of the stuff we can't find out."

  
  


Nancy nodded in agreement. "Good point. After we check out Greg Hales let's stop by police headquarters and see if they'll give us any information."

  
  


"Okay, we can ask about Elayne's mother. I think you have a valid idea that maybe she was murdered."

  
  


"Yes," Nancy said, "but if someone that wealthy was murdered it would have been all over the newspapers and tabloids. How would Elayne not know?"

  
  


"Fairchild is rich, he could probably silence the media," Frank suggested.

  
  


"I doubt it," Nancy said critically, "he would have to bribe so many people that he wouldn't even be able to keep track of it." 

  
  


"Maybe that Webster guy was involved with the investigation or media," Frank said.

  
  


Nancy shrugged, "I don't know, we should probably check him out as well as Martha, Amanda, and Hertz. Is this the street where we're supposed to turn to get to Hale's house?"

  
  


Frank looked down at the directions Mr. Fairchild had given to them the night before. "Yes, turn right here, then left, and it should be the fifth house on the right."

  
  


Nancy nodded and followed the directions. "Okay we'll drive past, I'll park, and you go and check it out. I'll stay here in the get-away-car. Sound good?"

  
  


"That works," Frank said as they drove past the house.

  
  


Nancy stopped the car just around the next corner and turned off the engine. Frank hopped out and headed back down the street. "See you soon," he waved.

  
  


  
  


Joe sat at the dining room table in the Fairchild Mansion waiting for Elayne to finish eating her breakfast. Frank and Nancy had instructed him to try and get as much information as possible out from Elayne. Peoples' habits, family history, social relations, and other tidbits.

  
  


"So has anyone been acting strange lately?" Joe asked Elayne casually.

  
  


Elayne smiled as she sipped from a glass of orange juice. "No, no one has been acting oddly."

  
  


Just then Amanda walked into the room. "Elayne, have you seen my spare set of house keys?" she asked.

  
  


Elayne shook her head. "Did you lose them or something?"

  
  


"I don't know, I distinctly remember placing them in here somewhere earlier this morning. Maybe I'm mistaken though." Amanda replied.

  
  


"Who knows?" Elayne said, "I always lose stuff, I'm not very organized."

  
  


"Oh well, maybe they'll turn up." Amanda left the room.

  
  


"So tell me about Amanda," Joe prompted Elayne.

  
  


"What about her?" Elayne asked.

  
  


"Well, you know, background, where she came from, what she's like, all of that," Joe said.

  
  


Elayne thought for a second. "She's an orphan and was raised by her aunt, you know, Martha. She and Martha came here when I was about twelve. The old housekeeper, Amy Smith had died in a freak accident. Anyway, Martha of course had Amanda who was seventeen then, my father was the only person who would let Amanda stay with Martha despite the fact that she wasn't a real employee of him. My father is rather generous when it comes down to it. All of the servants have never lived in the old servants' quarters. They always live in the house."

  
  


"So Amanda isn't like a maid or housekeeper?" Joe questioned.

  
  


"No, she does do some things around the house because she does live here, but she isn't employed by my father. She actually considered moving out once she hit twenty one," Elayne explained.

  
  


"Why didn't she?" Joe inquired.

  
  


Elayne giggled. "Amanda by that time had become a good friend of mine, she always would spend time with me and we could share secrets with each other. She told me that she was planning to move out cause she didn't even do anything around here. So I went to my dad and asked him to tell Amanda that she was welcome to stay here as long as she wanted."

  
  


"Did you father tell her she could stay?"

  
  


"No, he told Martha to tell Amanda that she could stay." 

  
  


"So Amanda stayed." Joe said.

  
  


"Of course, what with that offer, and the chance to spend time around my father. . ." Elayne began to laugh.

  
  


Joe smiled, "Are you still friends?"

  
  


"Of course!"

  
  


Joe frowned. It looked like his Amanda theory wasn't going to work out. She didn't really have much of a motive to kidnap anyone.

  
  


"So what shall we do this morning?" he asked. 

  
  


  
  


Nancy spied Frank coming back from his stakeout. He didn't appear to be happy. Frank opened the car door and hopped in. "That was a total waste of an hour," he said.

  
  


"What did you find out?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"The reason that Mr. Hales has been late to work for the past week is because his wife is laid up with the flu and he has to get the kids to school before he can leave for work." Frank explained.

  
  


Nancy shrugged, "Well that narrows it down, we don't have to worry about Hales any longer."

  
  


"Yeah, but how did the kidnappers know to put that message in my room?" Frank asked, "Hales was the only logical link to that."

  
  


"I don't know," Nancy mused, "let's head downtown, maybe something will turn up."

  
  


Frank brightened a bit. "I hope so." 

  
  


Nancy started the car and pulled out into the street. "Any new theories?" 

  
  


"Maybe someone at the house knew that Fairchild was going to hire us." Frank suggested.

  
  


"That's a possibility," Nancy replied, "aside from Elayne who knew?"

  
  


"Probably everyone," Frank 

  
  


Nancy paused for a second, "Well, I suppose that's why we're doing background checks."

  
  


The pair soon arrived at the Denver Police Headquarters. They parked in the lot and walked into the building. 

  
  


"How are we going to do this?" Frank whispered to Nancy. 

  
  


"Let's talk to that detective that showed up at the mall when they tried to kidnap Elayne," Nancy suggested.

  
  


Frank nodded, "Good idea." He walked up to the desk sergeant. "Um, excuse me, could we please see Bill Kimball?"

  
  


The burly sergeant looked at them suspiciously. "I suppose. . .down the hall and the seventh door to your right."

  
  


"Thank you," Frank said as he and Nancy headed down the hall.

  
  


They found the door the sergeant had directed them too. Nancy knocked on the door. She was answered with a, "Come in!"

  
  


Frank and Nancy walked in the detective's office. Bill Kimball looked up at them. "How can I help you?"

  
  


"Do you remember Elayne Fairchild's attempted kidnapping?" Frank asked him.

  
  


Kimball nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, what do you want about it?"

  
  


"We've been asked by her father to look into it and possible motives. We were wondering if we could get some records and info from you." Nancy explained.

  
  


Kimball tilted his head and studied them. "I'll help you a little. . . what did you want to know."

  
  


Frank stole a glance at the little paper with the info that Elayne had given them. "Do you guys know anything about Elizabeth Fairchild?"

  
  


Kimball leaned forward and keyed the name into his computer. "Fairchild, Elizabeth P," he began, "she was murdered about ten years ago."

  
  


Nancy shot Frank a "I knew it!" glance and then turned towards the cop. "Did they ever catch the murderer, do you know what the motive was?"

  
  


Detective Kimball scanned the report on his computer. "Let's see, no, no motive was ever known. The murderer was killed in the act."

  
  


"Killed!" Nancy exclaimed.

  
  


Kimball nodded, "Apparently he killed Mrs. Fairchild at about ten o'clock, just the same time Mr. Fairchild arrived home from his work. Apparently the murderer was on his way to murder the daughter, Elayne, as well. Mr. Fairchild bumped into him on his way to Elayne's room. The perpetrator tried to kill Mr. Fairchild. In the end, Fairchild strangled the murderer with a garotte."

  
  


Nancy's mouth dropped open in shock. "A garotte! Where did he get a garotte?"

  
  


"I don't know," Kimball shrugged.

  
  


"What happened after that?" Frank inquired.

  
  


"It seems that the feds jumped in and kicked us off the case, silenced the media, and just took care of it." Kimball explained.

  
  


"Do you have anything on Fairchild himself in your database?" Nancy asked.

  
  


Kimball keyed in Fairchild's name, "Let's see, Fairchild, Andrew S- nope, he hasn't even been pulled over for speeding let alone anything else. He clean."

  
  


"What about his employees?" Nancy asked, "Martha Harper, William Hertz, Greg Hales, and Amanda Johnson?"

  
  


Kimball looked them all up. "Nope," he shook his head, "they're all clean."

  
  


Frank and Nancy thanked Detective Kimball and then left his office. "Well that was useless." Frank said.

  
  


"Not necessarily," Nancy replied, "we did find out that Elayne's mother was murdered, and that Elayne could have been murdered. Maybe it's the same person."

  
  


"In a stretch of ten years?" Frank scoffed, "What strikes me is the garotte. Was it the murder weapon or did Fairchild just happen to have it in his pocket?"

  
  


Nancy shrugged. "I think we're going to have to call the Network if we're going to get anything else."

  
  


Frank nodded. "Let's do it from that payphone right over there. No use in letting the Gray Man know where we are exactly."

  
  


Frank and Nancy walked over to the payphone. Frank lifted up the receiver and dropped several quarters in and dialed. 

  
  


Someone answered the phone. "Connector Insurance, how may I help you."

  
  


"Yes, I'd like to speak with Mr. Gray please." Frank said.

  
  


"One moment please."

  
  


"Great," Frank said to Nancy, "they've put me on hold."

  
  


"Maybe they're trying to figure out what you're up to." Nancy laughed.

  
  


There was a click and the Gray Man's familiar voice and annoyed came over the phone. "What do you want Frank?"

  
  


"I want some background info on some people, and you know that you owe me a favor." Frank answered.

  
  


Mr. Gray sighed. "Who?"

  
  


"Let's see," Frank said, "first we want the goods on Andrew S. Fairchild."

  
  


There was a very pregnant pause on the line. "Andrew S. Fairchild of Denver?" came the Gray Man's masked voice.

  
  


"Yes." Frank replied.

  
  


"One second," there was a click, Frank was back on hold.

  
  


"I think I've struck a nerve," Frank told Nancy.

  
  


Nancy grinned, "I bet that means we'll get a lot of info on him."

  
  


After several minutes the Gray Man came back to the line, "Why are you asking about Fairchild?" 

  
  


"He hired us to prevent the kidnapping of his daughter, so we looked up his history and it turns out his wife was murdered several years ago. We wanted to know what's going on." Frank answered.

  
  


There was another long pause. "I need to meet with you Frank, where can we meet in Denver?"

  
  


Frank was stunned. They Gray Man didn't ask them where he could meet them. Rather he told them where to meet him. "Why?" he managed to get out, "Why do you have to meet with me?"

  
  


"You're in extreme danger Frank, more danger than you have been in before," the Gray Man responded tersely.

  
  


"How?" Frank asked, "Is Fairchild dangerous?"

  
  


"Only to his enemies Frank," the Gray Man replied, "why would a man who has so many resources call upon you and your brother, mere amateurs? He's frightened Frank, he doesn't know who he can trust. It takes A LOT to frighten Andrew S. Fairchild. Where can I meet you Frank?"

  
  


Frank thought for a moment. "When can you be here then?"

  
  


"Four hours."

  
  


"Fine then, we can meet at two o'clock at the park outside the Denver Police Headquarters." Frank told the Gray Man.

  
  


"I'll be there." There was a click and the line was dead.

  
  


Frank turned to Nancy. "He's meeting us in four hours."

  
  


"Why?" Nancy asked. 

  
  


Frank related the conversation to her as they left the police station. "I don't think Fairchild is dangerous, but being around him is," Frank finished up with.

  
  


Nancy nodded. "Let's go grab something to eat and then we can look up some more later."

  
  


The pair walked out to Nancy's rental car and climbed in. "So why do you think the Gray Man thinks Fairchild is frightened?" Frank asked her as she prepared to start the car.

  
  


Nancy shrugged. "Don't know." She turned the key to start the ignition but nothing happened. 

  
  


"Maybe he did something to make some terrorists mad." Frank mused. Abruptly he noticed that as Nancy's car failed to start there was a clicking noise. He realized what it meant. "GET OUT!" he yelled.

  
  


Frank and Nancy leapt from the car and ran as a massive explosion ripped through the air.

  
  


A/N: Here's a cliffhanger! Please review and let me know whether or not people read this story! Thanks for reading!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. The Gray Man

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


A/N: Thank you to GENA and Katie Janeway for their reviews. 

  
  


GENA- I'll try to follow that suggestion, as for a lack of action- well maybe this chapter will satisfy you. . . . . *cackles evilly*

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Five: The Gray Man

  
  
  
  


The explosion knocked both Frank and Nancy down to the ground. Frank could feel the heat of the flames that were now burning off the gasoline from the car. Nancy! Was she okay? 

  
  


Just then Nancy groaned and Frank let out a sigh of relief. He looked up at the car and then the police building. Cops were now running out of it to see what had happened. Many had their guns drawn. 

  
  


Frank coughed and helped Nancy up, she was coughing too. It appeared that she had caught the worst of it. Detective Kimball ran up to them. "What happened!" he yelled. 

  
  


Frank coughed. "I don't know, someone bombed our car. We heard the clicking noise and got out."

  
  


Kimball nodded distractedly. "The nerve of them to do this on police property!" he muttered savagely. "This has something to do with your case doesn't it? I'm going to call in the FBI, this is no longer just a simple mugging case. Something is up."

  
  


Frank nodded and then turned to Nancy who had stopped coughing. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

  
  


Nancy nodded. "I'll be fine Frank, just give me a couple of minutes."

  
  


"Let's get you two in the building so that when the paramedics arrive they can look you over." Kimball told them.

  
  


"Lead the way," Frank said as sirens approached the scene.

  
  


Kimball led them into the police building and took them to a break room. He got them two glasses of water each to help with the coughing. "I'll be right back," he told them before he left them alone in the room.

  
  


"I thought you were a goner." Frank croaked.

  
  


Nancy smiled weakly, "I thought we were both gone."

  
  


Frank hesitated for a moment, "You have no idea how horrible it would have been to lose you," he began.

  
  


"I think I do," Nancy whispered softly, "it would be the same as losing you."

  
  


Frank and Nancy's eyes caught and they leaned forward slowly. Abruptly the door opened and Kimball walked back in with a pair of paramedics tailing behind. Frank and Nancy jerked away from each other blushing furiously.

  
  


Kimball winked at them as the paramedics made their way over to Frank and Nancy.

  
  


"So any ideas on who could of bombed your car?" Kimball quizzed them as the paramedics did a routine checkup of Frank and Nancy.

  
  


"If we knew that we wouldn't have a case, would we?" Nancy replied.

  
  


Kimball held up his hands, "Just asking, calm down."

  
  


"You said you were going to bring the FBI in on this didn't you?" Frank asked Kimball.

  
  


"I will, no telling what they'll do being that there hasn't been a crime. They've been spread a bit thin lately due to past events." Kimball explained.

  
  


The paramedics had finished their examination of Frank and Nancy. "See that you get plenty of rest and maybe a hot bath tonight," one of them told the two detectives before they left.

  
  


"Is it all right if we go now?" Nancy asked in a tired voice.

  
  


"I suppose so," Kimball sighed, "just stay in town in case we need you though."

  
  


  
  


Frank and Nancy sat on a bench in the park next to the police station. They were due to meet the Gray Man in a matter of minutes. After leaving the police station they had gone to get a bite to eat.

  
  


"Should we call Joe and tell him?" Nancy asked Frank.

  
  


Frank shook his head, "No, he'd only freak out, what with Iola and all, best we tell him in person."

  
  


Nancy nodded and the two sat for several minutes waiting for the Gray Man to appear.

  
  


Suddenly they heard a dry voice behind them, "You amateurs seem to have a remarkable ability to attract trouble."

  
  


Frank and Nancy turned to see the Gray Man standing behind them. "I take it you've heard about the police station then," Frank replied.

  
  


The Gray Man nodded, walked around the bench and sat down next to them. "You have no idea how much danger you two are in. Get off the case while you can."

  
  


"I think that the amount of danger we're in has just been demonstrated to us," Nancy replied firmly, "we will remain on the case, thank you."

  
  


Mr. Gray sighed, "I realize you've had experience dealing with terrorists, Frank, Nancy, but these kidnappers are higher players on every level. Compared to them, most terrorists are bumbling idiots."

  
  


"Who are they?" Frank asked, pumping the Gray Man for information.

  
  


"Spies," The Gray Man answered tersely, "spies left over from the cold war. The most elite but unheard of forces that any country could ever muster. Now that the hostilities are over they do other things. Some put their talents to good use, others use their talents to terrorize or commit crimes."

  
  


"Why would these 'spies' be after a teenage girl?" Nancy queried, "Ransom?"

  
  


"No, revenge," Mr. Gray said coldly.

  
  


"Against Mr. Fairchild?" Frank guessed.

  
  


The Gray Man nodded. "Indeed, they've been trying to get at him for years now. Mostly, he's been able to fend them off himself."

  
  


"Why against Mr. Fairchild?" Nancy asked.

  
  


The Gray Man sighed. "Let me explain." he began. "When Andrew S. Fairchild was a teenager, he was just like you two. He solved cases left and right. His community hailed him as a genius. The CIA saw uses for such a person. They recruited him."

  
  


"So he was a CIA agent and that's why they're after him still?" Frank guessed.

  
  


"No, Frank, he was not just a CIA agent. In fact after a short period of time he was no longer with the CIA." 

  
  


"You mean he was recruited into the Network, with you guys?" Nancy ventured.

  
  


"Yes, and no," The Gray Man answered, "you see, Andrew S. Fairchild created the Network."

  
  


Frank's jaw dropped wide open. "He created it!"

  
  


The Gray Man nodded, "Yes, he created the very thing that became a scourge to terrorists, spies, and other agents. That's why they hate him. They would hate him more if they knew that he still runs and directs the Network."

  
  


"You mean that Fairchild is your boss?" Nancy said in amazement.

  
  


"Yes, he is," Mr. Gray replied, "that's how he knew of your talents and experience. He has always had a very high opinion of you. Whenever something big comes up that we can't get a grip on guess who says, 'What about those Hardy kids?'"

  
  


"So why did you fly out to Denver, you could have just had Fairchild talk to us about it."

  
  


"Because this time Fairchild hired you without so much as consulting us!" The Gray Man retorted. "When he doesn't bother to consult us it scares us, it means that something is up. We need to get in on it. He doesn't like involving the Network in his family affairs. He needs us."

  
  


"So you just want to shove us out, don't you?" Frank said.

  
  


"Well, we won't have it!" Nancy said in a raised voice, "You can talk to Fairchild about it but we're sticking on the job."

  
  


The Gray Man sighed deeply. "Have it your way." 

  
  


  
  


Nancy groaned as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She was beginning to feel all the bruises, aches, and pains from the car bombing in the morning. That had been very scary, the only thing that scared her more was that Frank could have been killed.

  
  


She strolled into her bedroom and began to dress slowly to accommodate for the aches in her muscles. Someone knocked lightly on her door. "Nancy, it's me. Can I come in?" came Frank's voice.

  
  


Nancy quickly finished dressing and then called, "Come on in."

  
  


The door opened and Frank walked in. "So what do you think about what the Gray Man said?"

  
  


Nancy shrugged. "We've dealt with what he thought was dangerous before."

  
  


"Well, I just wanted you to know that you don't have to stay on the case if you don't want to."

  
  


"Well, I just want you to know that I shall stay on until it's solved or Elayne is out of danger!"

  
  


Frank smiled. "I thought you'd feel that way. Shall we go down and see if we can find Elayne and Joe?"

  
  


Nancy nodded and the pair left her room together. They strode down the hall silently both reflecting on the events of the day. They soon arrived in the entrance hall. They were just in time to spot Elayne and Will Hertz preparing to leave for somewhere.

  
  


"Where are you going Elayne?" Nancy called.

  
  


"Where's Joe?" Frank asked.

  
  


Elayne looked at the two detectives nervously. "I was just going to town to pick up a dress. My father said it was all right if Hertz escorted me. He reckons it's all right if Hertz stays with me the whole time because you've had enough for the day."

  
  


"What about Joe?" Frank repeated.

  
  


"I think he went to his room to rest," Elayne said nervously.

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded. "Well, we'll see you two later," Frank said.

  
  


Elayne and Hertz left. "Let's go on a quick walk around the grounds," Nancy suggested to Frank.

  
  


The pair walked out in time to watch Elayne and Hertz drive down to the gate and pull onto the main drag. "That way," Nancy pointed to the side of the house where the garden they had seen previously was.

  
  


They headed for the garden silently. Finally Frank broke the silence. "So how's Ned?" he asked Nancy.

  
  


Nancy blushed. "He's fine, I suppose. I'm not good at keeping up with him what with all the cases I have. It makes him unhappy." she said the last sentence guiltily. 

  
  


"At least he doesn't try to get involved in your cases like Callie does."

  
  


"She cares for you, a lot, if she didn't she wouldn't bother to get involved," Nancy said very softly.

  
  


Frank spotted a figure lying in one of the flower beds ahead of them. "What that?" he asked Nancy.

  
  


"I don't know, let's see." Nancy replied curiously.

  
  


"It's a dead body!" Frank exclaimed as they approached.

  
  


Frank and Nancy walked up and rolled the corpse over.

  
  


It was the body of William Hertz.

  
  
  
  


A/N: Cliffhanger!!!! Please review and let me know how many people actually care about this story! All you have to do is press the button below.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Kidnapping

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


A/N: I want to thank everyone who took the time to review the last chapter. :) It always gives me much needed support. I'm sorry that I haven't updated as usual, this week I've been having tests left and right, not that I study of course. . . . but they make me tired all over. So. . . . enjoy!

  
  


Ragna- If you want details on the Gray Man, e-mail me at dreadnault@netscape.net :)

  
  


katie janeway- Glad to see that I surprised you :)

  
  


GENA- Thank you!

  
  


Anonymous327- Yes, I struggled with Elayne's age. . . it was a toss up between 16 and 12 

  
  


(Don't feel left out if I didn't post a reply to your review- if you want a reply, ask a question or make a suggestion. :) )

  
  


Chapter Six: Kidnapping

  
  
  
  


Nancy gasped loudly. If that corpse was William Hertz, then who was that who had taken Elayne to town? "Elayne has been kidnapped right in front of us." Nancy groaned to Frank.

  
  


Frank, whose attention was still on the body jerked out of his semi-trance and looked at Nancy. "What about Joe? He would've known the guy was a fake. He would have been with Elayne when she asked Fairchild if it was all right to go with Hertz, assuming that she did ask, which I doubt."

  
  


"We have to go notify the cops and Mr. Fairchild," Nancy said, gathering together her resolve.

  
  


A figure stepped out from behind the dark shadow of a tree holding a pistol. "I'm afraid that you two won't be going anywhere."

  
  


*******

  
  


"I can't believe you went over my head and hired those amateurs!" Mr. Gray said with emotion to Mr. Fairchild.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild turned from the window of his office. "The last time I checked, Arthur, the Network is mine to run as is my family and I make all the decisions concerning both."

  
  


The Gray Man sat in one of the chairs facing Fairchild's desk. He was very unhappy. "They're not even members of the Network!"

  
  


"Then maybe I can remedy that." Fairchild responded calmly. 

  
  


"They're amateurs!" 

  
  


"Really?" Fairchild asked as he sat down at his desk. "After all they've done for us you still think that they're amateurs? Despite the fact that they beat impossible odds, shown the most character and intelligence, outwitted terrorists? You think that they're STILL amateurs. If they had been put into the Network when the Morton girl was killed, by this time they'd be a mere step under you in authority. Why do you think they're still amateurs?"

  
  


Mr. Gray sighed. "I don't know Andrew. . . they seem young. . . they don't like to kill. . . they're just not the type."

  
  


"They're the perfect type! Would you want a cold-hearted killer sitting in our positions, or in a position of authority in the Network? From where I stand, I could easily overthrow the government, or any government, by doing nothing more than lifting my finger. Would you want a cold-hearted killer in that position? We're not going to be around forever!"

  
  


The Gray Man nodded beginning to see what Andrew S. Fairchild had seen all along. Just then the phone rang.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild reached over to pick it up. "Hello?" He listened for several moments. "Stay inside the house Amanda, in fact, go somewhere and hide, I'll be right over."

  
  


Mr. Gray frowned. "What was that?"

  
  


Fairchild picked up the phone again hitting one of the speed dial buttons. "Get my helicopter ready." 

  
  


"Well?"

  
  


"It was my housekeeper's niece, Amanda. My housekeeper just found Joe knocked out in one of the bedrooms. She can't find Frank, Nancy, or Elayne." Fairchild stood up and pulled open one of the desk drawers and pulled out a revolver.

  
  


"Is that all?"

  
  


"For now, let's go."

  
  


*******

Frank squinted at the figure holding the gun on him and Nancy. It was John Barcross, Fairchild's assistant personal secretary. "You! He exclaimed."

  
  


Barcross smiled grimly. "Yes, me. You overlooked me, you didn't even consider me, did you?"

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded reluctantly. "Where's my brother!" Frank demanded.

  
  


"Unconscious, I had to knock him out when I saw that you were about to stumble on Hertz's corpse. I don't need you to sound the alarm." Barcross explained.

  
  


"Why have you kidnapped Elayne?" Nancy asked, pumping Barcross for info. 

  
  


"Just a job I was hired to do. By now she's in the hands of my employers."

  
  


"What do they want from her?" Frank demanded, he was cooling down now, trying to think on how to get out.

  
  


Barcross shrugged. "Revenge on old man Fairchild I suppose, other things too I bet. I don't ask those kind of questions when I'm hired."

  
  


"What about the attempt at the mall?" Nancy inquired, "What was with that?"

  
  


"My employers got desperate when they found out that you had been hired. They drastically overestimate your skills. They tried to get her themselves before you could get your guard up against them."

  
  


Nancy nodded slowly. Just then she noticed that she and Frank were standing near a certain sprinkler control box. One with weapons inside it. She motioned to Frank with her eyes. He caught on and nodded. He would keep Barcross busy while she went for the guns. 

  
  


"What about the note in our hotel room?" Frank asked, trying to keep Barcross oblivious to Nancy.

  
  


"That was me, I tried to scare you off. You and your brother certainly have more guts than I thought, either that or less brains." 

  
  


Nancy edged herself towards the box in the flowerbed. Only a few more inches. . . Just then a helicopter flew overhead and Barcross looked up. Nancy leapt towards the box and threw it open. It was empty. There was nothing in it. Vaguely she heard Barcross began to laugh.

  
  


*******

  
  


Elayne sat frozen in the back of the car that the imposter was driving. Barcross had told her that if she so much as put up an ounce of resistance to her "chauffeur" he would kill her bodyguards, father, and friends. Especially Joe. She wasn't planning to resist in any way. 

  
  


I can still leave clues, she thought grimly. Just as that thought came the car slowed down and pulled off the road. The chauffeur opened his door and stepped out. He walked around the car and opened her door. "Out." 

  
  


Slowly Elayne climbed out of the car taking in everything that was around her. They were on a deserted road excepting a van that was parked ahead. Three figures stood near the van holding rifles. 

  
  


The imposter motioned towards the van. Elayne nodded and began to walk. Her mind was racing desperately. She needed to leave something, some sign, something that would help Joe, Frank, and Nancy to find her. They could, she knew they could.

  
  


*******

  
  


Nancy slowly stood up as Barcross laughed at her, he was still holding his gun to them though. 

  
  


"Nice try Drew," Barcross chuckled, "but some of my men were watching when the girl showed that little stash to you. I couldn't afford to have anybody but me have weapons."

  
  


Frank groaned inwardly. Now they needed to stall more to come up with another plan. "Where are they taking her?" Frank demanded.

  
  


"Does it matter?" Barcross asked grimly.

  
  


"What can it hurt to tell us?" Nancy pointed out.

  
  


"Out of the country," Barcross replied, "they're not dumb enough to hold her within the United States. If they're found in another country, especially one not friendly to the U.S., then they don't have to worry. Do they?"

  
  


"What are they going to do with her?" Nancy asked trying to maintain a calm.

  
  


"I think I already answered that." Barcross said, "Time is wasting, it's time for you to die, Miss Drew, Mr. Hardy." he lifted up his gun and took aim.

  
  


*******

  
  


Amanda slowly paced the kitchen. Where was Elayne and her bodyguards? She dreaded the worst. Somehow they had kidnapped Elayne. Her aunt had found one of them, Joe, while cleaning. Amanda feared the worst, the other two were probably dead. 

  
  


"What did Mr. Fairchild say?" Martha asked.

  
  


"He said to stay in the house and hide." Amanda replied. He had acted calm, but she could tell that Andrew had been terrified.

  
  


"Anything else?" 

  
  


Amanda shook her head no, if anything had happened to Elayne, Andrew would be crushed. She didn't want to see that.

  
  


Both of their heads jerked up when they heard a pair of gunshots. "What was that?" Martha asked in a terrified whisper.

  
  


"I don't know." Amanda mouthed as she walked over to the wall and flipped the light switches to darken the kitchen. I just hope that Andrew gets home fast, Amanda finished to herself.

  
  


*******

  
  


Nancy took Frank's hand and clutched it. They were going to die. No one was there to help them this time. She closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to watch. Oh Frank! 

  
  


She heard Barcross's gun fire and waited for the impact. She didn't feel anything. Slowly she opened her eyes, praying that she wouldn't find Frank's corpse. It didn't occur to her that she was still holding his hand.

  
  


Watch she saw shocked her. Barcross was struggling. Someone had stepped up behind him and was now strangling him with a garotte. His shots must have gone up in the air. Nancy squinted trying to make out the figure. It was Mr. Fairchild.

  
  


Nancy let out her breath. Frank was okay! So was she, come to think of it. They were going to live another day. She watched as Barcross stopped struggling. Jon Barcross was dead.

  
  


"How did it happen?" Fairchild asked them calmly as the Gray Man came up behind him, panting from running.

  
  


Frank pointed to Hertz's corpse. "An imposter who was posing as Hertz got her away. We think that Barcross knocked out Joe. Then Elayne and the imposter came down and said that they were going to town and that you had cleared it."

  
  


Fairchild nodded thoughtfully. "I see."

  
  


"How did you get here?" Nancy asked Fairchild.

  
  


"No time for that," Mr. Fairchild answered. "We need to notify the local law enforcement and do our best to stop them before they can leave the country." Fairchild wiped off the garotte on Barcross's shirt. "Dispose of him." he directed the Gray Man. He then took the garotte and slipped it under his shirt collar and dashed off towards the mansion.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: That's it for now, kind of short I know, but oh well. :) Please review- It pushes me along. :)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Commissioning of the Network Marshals

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Author's Note: Thank you as always to all those that have read and reviewed this story so far- if you haven't reviewed yet, you might consider it! ;) 

Also, a quick note- As of the previous chapter, this story is now simultaneously published at www.fanfiction.net and www.hardydetectiveagency.com 

  
  


Thank You,

Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Chapter Seven: Commissioning of the Network Marshals

  
  


Nancy turned to the Gray Man, "How did you and Mr. Fairchild get here like that?"

  
  


Mr. Gray smiled briefly, "Apparently the housekeeper found Joe knocked out in one of the rooms. Her niece called Andrew who promptly took a helicopter flight out here. The rest you know."

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded slowly. "What should we do about the corpse?" Frank asked, pointing to the body of Hertz.

  
  


"Leave it for the authorities. We should go in and see what Andrew needs." Mr. Gray responded.

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded and followed the Gray Man into the mansion and up to Mr. Fairchild's office. Fairchild was on the phone while Amanda sat in one of the chairs across from the desk. Nancy could tell that she was extremely shaken up.

  
  


"Where's my brother?" Frank asked her anxiously.

  
  


"Downstairs. . . somewhere, my aunt is looking after him. He'll be fine." Amanda replied faintly.

  
  


Fairchild put the phone down. "I've notified the local police." he announced.

  
  


"The police!" Mr. Gray exclaimed. "What about the Network!"

  
  


"The Network," Mr. Fairchild answered slowly, "has been corrupted somehow. That is the only possible way that they could have spirited Elayne away like they did. Our enemy won't have players within the Denver Police Department. Possibly the FBI though, and they will get involved whether or not I call them."

  
  


"What about the press?" Mr. Gray pointed out.

  
  


Fairchild smiled coldly. "The press, yes the press. Amanda?"

  
  


"Yes?" Amanda answered slowly.

  
  


"Would you please coordinate with the police about what to say to the press? I would like you to become the family spokesperson."

  
  


"I'd be honored," Amanda said, smiling.

  
  


"Only one thing, you will tell the reporters that Elayne's bodyguards were killed and or severely injured during the kidnapping. Avoid names. I will issue a gag order to the police so they don't blow the story." Fairchild instructed. The wail of sirens echoed in the distance. "You had better go greet them. I will see them later for any questions they might have."

  
  


Amanda nodded. "As you wish." She left quickly, closing the door behind her, to go and meet the police and tell them what had happened.

  
  


"That doesn't answer my question," The Gray Man sighed.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild smiled again. "The press will be a useful tool. The kidnappers have no reason to believe that the Hardys and Miss Drew are still alive. The press will keep a constant eye on me. Our kidnappers will not see the Hardys and Miss Drew sneaking up behind them."

  
  


"We're perfectly willing to go and chase Elayne and her kidnappers," Nancy said, "but, wouldn't it be better if you came with us? You are obviously more skilled than us by far."

  
  


"Not by so far I think," Fairchild replied, sighing sadly. "I would go, but kidnapping is the least of their crimes, the very least."

  
  


"What do you mean?" Frank inquired.

  
  


Fairchild tilted his head and looked at them while smiling. "Do you think these kidnappers went to extreme effort, great risk, and substantial cost just to kidnap my daughter for revenge, or to rape her, or to get ransom?"

  
  


"That did occur to us. . ." Nancy admitted.

  
  


"I did not think it had," Fairchild replied, "I'm afraid you don't know all of the facts and probably won't for some time to come. However, imagine a chessboard. Imagine that I am the queen, imagine that my daughter is a pawn, and imagine that you are a bishop. The pawn is in extreme danger from another opposing piece, say the black knight or rook. I, the queen can save the pawn easily. It would be a mere matter to strike down the opposing piece."

  
  


"Then why don't you?" Nancy burst out.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild held up his hand, "Hear me out. Yet, you the bishop, with some maneuvering could undermine the piece that puts the pawn in danger."

  
  


"Yes," Frank agreed, "but, it's still quicker and more efficient for you to strike down the danger."

  
  


"I can't budge from my position." Fairchild countered.

  
  


"Why not!" Nancy demanded.

  
  


"It would be an illegal move. If I move from the position I currently stand on, that creates a condition most unfavorable towards our side."

  
  


"What's that?" Frank asked slowly, beginning to realize what Fairchild meant.

  
  


"It's called checkmate." Fairchild answered.

  
  


*******

  
  


Joe groaned and lifted up his hand weakly to rub his forehead. Abruptly he remembered what had happened. Elayne! Joe sat up quickly looking around. 

  
  


"Lay back down!" came the voice of the housekeeper. 

  
  


Aha! He had known all along, it was the housekeeper! Joe jumped out of the bed. "You'll have to force me!" he exclaimed.

  
  


Martha looked at Joe as if he belonged in a lunatic asylum. "All right, don't lay down. Undoubtably your brother and Miss Drew will be wanting to see you. They are in Mr. Fairchild's office." With that she left. 

  
  


Joe looked down and realized that he was wearing nothing but his boxers. He groaned.

  
  


********

The group in Mr. Fairchild's office was interrupted by Joe's arrival. "What happened?" he asked.

  
  


"You got conked out and they took Elayne away, from right beneath our noses." Frank explained to him.

  
  


Joe sighed, "I was afraid of that."

  
  


"We were discussing Elayne," Nancy told Joe. She then turned to Fairchild, "Checkmate?"

  
  


Fairchild nodded slowly. "My daughter's kidnapping is a diversion, if I go off after her all chaos will break loose here. I'm afraid I can't explain any further though."

  
  


"Who's the king on your little chessboard?" Frank asked Fairchild.

  
  


"It could be many things," Fairchild said, "the President, Congress, the Pentagon, any of those, perhaps even more."

  
  


"Do you know which it is?" Nancy asked suspiciously.

  
  


"I do, but you don't need to know at this point." 

  
  


"Just when we thought we were getting somewhere," Joe muttered. He always hated it when the words, "need to know" came up.

  
  


"Where will we go to get Elayne back?" Nancy asked, eagerly.

  
  


Fairchild and the Gray Man shrugged. "We'll have to wait a little longer for that. Be assured though, we will know shortly and we can send you on your way quickly. First though," Fairchild glanced at his watch, "we need to get a couple of things done. It's high time that you became official employees of the Network."

  
  


Frank and Joe's mouth dropped open along with Nancy's in surprise. They had not expected this. "Are you joking?" Frank managed to get out.

  
  


"Does that mean you accept?" Fairchild asked, smiling.

  
  


"Of course!" All three answered at once.

  
  


"I thought so," Fairchild said, "I took the liberty to get your ID's and other equipment ready." He pulled out a large envelope from a drawer in his desk and pulled out several different credit and ID cards. First he handed them each a set of five ID's. He began to explain each one. "The first one is an official Network ID. This identification is not really valid or recognized outside of the Network except for particularly high up officials. Don't show it to anyone unless they're a member of the Network or knows about the Network and is friendly to us. After you take care of my daughter's kidnapping you will be briefed on all of the official protocol."

  
  


Frank studied his Network identification. It had his picture and stats as well as several security patterns on it. "Thank you Mr. Fairchild."

  
  


Mr. Fairchild smiled. "As you'll notice I've assigned you all 'ranks.' Frank, you're a marshal. Nancy and Joe, you are both deputy marshals. You three must work together. However, when it comes to a final decision, either it's unanimous or, Frank is the one to decide. Frank answers to me directly, he takes orders from no one else, period. Joe and Nancy, Frank is basically your leader but you answer to Frank and I directly, and to no one else."

  
  


"So how does that stack up against other Network agents?" Joe asked.

  
  


The Gray Man chose to explain. "All agents are assigned some sort of military rank. It helps keep the organization together and running effectively. Mr. Fairchild here is regarded as the General Commander answerable only to the President of the United States. Assuming that the President knows of his existence. If the President is not aware of the Networks's existence then Andrew doesn't really answer to anyone. He carries out business as normal against terrorists and perhaps coordinates with the heads of the CIA or FBI." 

  
  


"Why would the President not be aware of the Network's existence?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"Some Presidents would try to get a strong grip on the Network, use it to their own advantage, or compromise our security. The last thing we need is another Watergate. Thank heavens we weren't involved." The Gray Man answered.

  
  


"Or perhaps, they may just not need to know." Fairchild explained with a smile. 

  
  


Frank nodded. "I see, please continue explaining the ranks."

  
  


"Right," the Gray Man said, "I'm regarded as a four-star general, I'm also Mr. Fairchild's chief-of-staff. All the others have their own ranks. Other than me and Mr. Fairchild you've only met privates and corporals. You might meet more. As a marshal or deputy marshal you aren't under anyone's command except for Andrew's. Basically you do your own thing." 

  
  


"When you're on a mission or task that I've assigned then you outrank every single person in the Network, excepting me of course." Fairchild said. "You may or may not have direct command authority over everyone but you certainly don't have to take orders from anyone else."

  
  


"So basically," Joe reasoned out, "when we're on your orders the only person that outranks our authority is you. What if we're just doing something routine or we're not on your orders?"

  
  


Fairchild answered, "When you are not actively on my orders then you're not under anyone's command, but you and Nancy have the command authority equivalent to a lieutenant and Frank has the equivalent to a captain. Basically, you don't answer to anyone, but you don't give orders to anyone with a higher rank. As time goes on your equivalent ranks will rise. I think that you'll most likely serve for marshals for the duration of you employment."

  
  


"Can we use our ID's and other things to help with our normal cases?" Frank asked.

  
  


"I'm well aware that you three frequently get involved in other cases other than terrorism or what concerns the Network. We support justice so we do grant you some of our resources to help you in your exploits against crime. However, if you ever stumble upon terrorism or a potential threat of terrorism you must notify me immediately." Fairchild replied.

  
  


"What resources do we get?" Nancy asked.

  
  


The Gray Man frowned sourly. "You'll have unlimited access to the Network's files, records, dossiers, and other such things that shall remain unmentioned."

  
  


Frank nodded. "That sounds great, what are these 'other things' though?" 

  
  


Fairchild smiled grimly. "Well, there's all types of spy satellites and if you ever need a terrorist base to be taken out quickly or to conveniently disappear off the map. . ."

  
  


Frank's eyes widened in shock. "I don't think we'll need that. What other resources do we have at our disposal?"

  
  


"The Network does try to keep within the bounds of the law, at least when operating within the United States, so we have a deal with the Supreme Court and Justice Department. The Network does them some favors here and there and they, with the authority of the President issue select people in the Network the right to issue search warrants and gag orders providing that these orders and warrants are within bound of the law and not unreasonable, as the Bill of Rights states."

  
  


"Are we some of those people?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"Just Frank for now," Fairchild replied. "I had to push them rather hard just for him. Hopefully we'll get you and Joe that privilege in the coming future." Fairchild turned to Frank. "Don't get wise and try to issue some before you've been sworn in and briefed in protocol though."

  
  


"Don't worry," Frank replied. 

"What about these other ID cards?" Nancy inquired.

  
  


"Those are just FBI, CIA, Justice and State Department ID's. They'll get you the help and cooperation of any of those agencies and of course any local police or law enforcement without you having to reveal yourself to some station chief or office manager." The Gray Man explained.

  
  


"That sounds good to me." Joe said excitedly. He always hated it when the police shoved them off a case. "Can we use them when we're not necessarily on you orders?"

  
  


Mr. Fairchild rolled his eyes. "Just don't abuse them Joe, moderation is the key." Fairchild handed them several credit cards. "Here are you expense account cards. Use them for dining, getting hotels, flights, or for whatever expenses you have while on a Network or terrorism case, which should be one and the same in most cases. No one but the Network can trace these because they are 'special.' There is no maximum amount you can charge on them. However, remember moderation. Don't abuse them. You can only use these when doing Network stuff, or something we would approve of."

  
  


Frank whistled softly as the three young adults studied them. "This is heavy duty Mr. Fairchild."

  
  


The Gray Man nodded in agreement. "Be sure that you hide you Network card where only you or someone close can find it. As for your other cards, just keep them safe." 

  
  


Next Mr. Fairchild pulled three passports out of the envelope. "These are diplomatic passports. Useful if you need to skip customs or smuggle something questionable but necessary. If you are trying to sneak into a foreign country in which the government is unfriendly and possibly your enemy on the case, either stay at the U.S. embassy or use your normal passports."

  
  


"Thank you," Nancy said smiling.

  
  


"I should thank you," Mr. Fairchild replied, "you are doing the Network and I a great service. As soon as you rescue Elayne and have had enough time to rest we'll began teaching you all the protocol you need to know. Next, before you leave, we need to discuss your employment terms."

  
  


"Do we get paid?" Joe asked getting even more excited.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild rolled his eyes. "Yes Joe, you get paid. You three still have yet to finish up college so you will be only part-time employees. Basically, we'll have you once in a while go on some case and then we will pay you on commission."

  
  


"How much per case?" Joe inquired eagerly while Frank, Nancy, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Fairchild rolled their eyes.

  
  


"It depends on the case," Fairchild replied dryly, "probably not as much as normal considering that the Network will be paying all of you tuition for you."

  
  


"Is there anything in particular we should study?" Nancy questioned.

  
  


Fairchild thought for a moment. "It's lucky that all three of you saw fit to take so many Advanced Placement and summer courses that earned you credit. You're halfway graduated from college already. I suggest that you, Nancy should major in law and minor in language and culture. Frank, major in law and minor technical and crime investigation. Joe, major in political science and minor in crime scene investigation. Remember, these are only suggestions so you don't have to follow them, but it would be nice. You'll also receive private instruction from the Network on other things."

  
  


Nancy frowned and thought for a moment. "You suggested basically what we would have taken anyway!" she accused Mr. Fairchild.

  
  


Fairchild laughed. "I'm glad. I think that it is time for you to head to your rooms and pack so that you can be ready as soon as word comes as to where Elayne is." The trio turned to leave. "One last thing though."

  
  


They turned back as Mr. Fairchild pulled three guns and three gray colored, cloth packets. "Here are your service guns. They'll not be the only guns you ever use, feel free to go and buy what you need when you need it. If your guns are place in these packets airport security will not be able to detect them."

  
  


They walked back and each took up a gun. "I feel like James Bond," Joe commented.

  
  


Everyone rolled their eyes and the three young adults left the room closing the door behind them. As soon as they were safely down the hall the Gray Man spoke. "So once you're gone you mean the Network to be ruled by a triumvirate eh?"

  
  


Fairchild smiled. "I think it is time to address the police and see what they have found. Let us hope that the Hardys and Miss Drew are able to be on their way quickly. As we speak both enemies and friends converge upon this place, I know not how to tell them apart. Trust not you colonels Arthur, nor your fellow generals until this is resolved."

  
  


The Gray Man nodded grimly as the pair left the room.

  
  
  
  


A/N: So ends this chapter. :) Perhaps we shall see more action soon. Please review now, your reviews support me more than you could ever believe. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to e-mail me at: dreadnault@netscape.net

  
  


Thank You! 

  
  
  
  



	8. On the Trail

The Fairchild Affair

by:

  
  


Lord Dreadnault

  
  
  
  


Author's Note: Thank you for the incredible amount of reviews I have received. :) Here's the next chapter which I hope you enjoy. 

  
  


Chapter Eight: On the Trail

  
  


"Mr. Fairchild," Detective Kimball asked, "do you believe that the attempted kidnapping at the mall is connected to this kidnapping?" 

  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild nodded, attempting to be patient. "Yes, obviously they are."

  
  


"Are there any relatives that might kidnap your daughter?"

  
  


"No, Elayne and I are the only living members of the Fairchild family." Mr. Fairchild answered smoothly. 

  
  


"Is there any possible person that might try to kidnap your daughter, maybe for revenge or to get back at you? Maybe an angry distant relative?"

  
  


"I. . . don't think so," Fairchild said carefully. There was somebody he had forgotten. Maybe it was because he didn't want to remember him. He absolutely had to be dead by now. The last he had heard there had been a plane accident, or at least the rumor of one. . ."

  
  


"I see. Have you received any threatening notes or received a ransom demand?" Kimball inquired.

  
  


Fairchild shook his head. "I have not."

  
  


"What about your daughters bodyguards? The Hardy brothers and Miss Drew? Would they know anything? Did they see anything?"

  
  


"They decided to leave and go elsewhere after the events of today. They can tell you nothing of any importance and would be of no useful help to you." Mr. Fairchild said.

  
  


The police detective nodded, thinking he understood. "We've already gotten a description from your housekeeper and her niece of what your daughter was wearing, is there anything you would wish to add to their description?"

  
  


Fairchild paused and thought for a moment. "No."

  
  


"Well, that wraps things up for now. Undoubtably the FBI will wish to speak with you as soon as they arrive. Just tell them the same things you told us, don't hold back. We are working together." Kimball explained.

  
  


"Very good." Mr. Fairchild replied as he stood up to shake Kimball's hand.

  
  


"Just one more thing." Kimball continued, "You're aware of the fact that you're a prominent and rich businessman in town so your daughter's kidnapping has of course sparked the public interest. Is it okay that the media is on your property?"

  
  


"So long as they keep their hands to themselves I have no problem with that. Miss Amanda Johnson will be handling my public relations so take any of her requests as if they come from me." Fairchild instructed.

  
  


"Thank you," Kimball said leaving the private sitting room, "I'll see to it that everything is kept down to a dull roar."

  
  


********

  
  


"Where do we put our ID's?" Joe asked Frank and they were packing. "I think that airport security might suspicious if they open up our wallet and see a whole bunch of ID's that are probably forgeries. Even though they aren't. It would be hard to convince them of that fact though."

  
  


"Do what I did," Frank replied, "stick all but one of them in your suitcase somewhere where no one will see it, regardless of whether our bags are searched, x-rayed, or someone tosses our hotel room."

  
  


"Good point," Joe commented. "Which ID did you choose?" 

  
  


"State Department," Frank answered and he zipped his suitcase shut.

  
  


Joe nodded as he slipped his CIA, FBI, and Network identification's into a built-in secret compartment within his suitcase. He and Frank and found such a compartment useful several times in the past. He then put his State Department card and expense credit cards into his wallet. "I think that's it." Joe began to close his suitcase.

  
  


Frank nodded as he sat on the bed. "What worries me is that maybe someone will notice those guns we packed."

  
  


"Oh relax," Joe scoffed, "Fairchild said that as long as they were in those packets nothing would be able to detect them. Besides, it's not like they search baggage."

  
  


"Famous last words," Frank muttered as someone knocked on their door. "Come in!" he called.

  
  


Nancy walked in the room. "I'm all packed, how about you guys?" 

  
  


"We're ready too," Joe said motioning to their suitcases.

  
  


"I wonder who we'll be up against?" Nancy mused as she sat down on Frank's bed. "Didn't Fairchild give us a few hints?" 

  
  


"I got the impression that the whole kidnapping thing is to distract him from something else." Frank put in.

  
  


"What would someone try to distract Fairchild from?" Joe thought aloud.

  
  


"I get the impression that the Network deals primarily with terrorism and possible threats of terrorism." Nancy said. "So, it's probably an impending terrorist attack, therefore, it's more than possible that it's the Assassins or maybe an arms-dealer."

  
  


Frank nodded. "Good point, yet Fairchild called their potential success 'checkmate.' Blowing up some building is more like taking away somebody's pawn than anything else."

  
  


"Well they want success don't they?" Joe added as he looked through the newspaper for the sports section. "Distracting the watchdog is the key to success."

  
  


"Yes," Nancy agreed, "but, is Fairchild the standard watchdog? Whether or not he's distracted the systems and agents he has in place will notice something and then alert the high-command or whatever of the Network calls it."

  
  


Frank's eyes brightened as he thought over Nancy's statement. "They're not trying to distract the Network, they want to distract Fairchild personally. The Network can spot standard terrorism easily but what if it's non-standard terrorism? What if what these people are up to something that only Andrew S. Fairchild, his personal self could spot, or connect with anything else?"

  
  


Joe rolled his eyes. "You're going out on a tangent Frank."

  
  


Nancy had caught on to Frank's idea though. "I get it, what if it's some doomsday plan or something that Fairchild saw or knew about while he was in the CIA? Or maybe he knew some agent or another person planning or capable of planning such a thing?"

  
  


"Exactly," Frank acknowledged, "someone or something is coming back from Fairchild's past to haunt him and they don't want him to spot them too early."

  
  


"Maybe we ought to go talk to Fairchild about your bright ideas," Joe said over the paper, "he'd put them down in a flash."

  
  


Frank and Nancy sighed. "Yeah, you're right Joe," Frank admitted.

  
  


"Fairchild either already knows what's up or he would've figured this out before us." Nancy finished. 

  
  


*********

  
  


"Has there been a ransom note yet?" a stocky reporter inquired.

  
  


"No," Amanda replied calmly, "no one has contacted us."

  
  


"Has Mr. Fairchild offered a reward for the return of his daughter?" a tall and thin female reporter asked shoving her microphone closer to the podium.

  
  


"Not as of now, "Amanda replied, "he has not had enough time to get around to that."

  
  


"What kind of father wouldn't drop everything and offer a reward if it had the chance of getting his daughter back?" a local talk show host called. 

  
  


Amanda clenched her teeth. She hated that woman's talk show and she would not give her material for it. "Would you rather Mr. Fairchild offer a reward and then neglect to call the police and help by giving the law every possible lead they could follow?"

  
  


The talk show host stepped back abashed and another younger reporter squeezed into her place. "You mentioned a Nancy Drew in connection with this, how is she connected and why?"

  
  


"May I ask you name?" Amanda said.

  
  


"Brenda Carlton, River Heights Chronicle," the reporter replied.

  
  


Great, Amanda thought, a reporter from some dumb paper out for the Pulitzer or something. Wait, Andrew wanted the bodyguards kept out of this, why was this person asking about one of them specifically? "Miss Fairchild's bodyguards were severely wounded due to an incident that occurred earlier today. They have departed and are in no way connected to this affair."

  
  


Just then Mr. Fairchild and the man commonly referred to as Mr. Gray entered the room and stepped up to Amanda. Reporters began to take numerous pictures. "Anything interesting?" Mr. Fairchild whispered to Amanda.

  
  


Amanda nodded. "See that one young reporter nearly on the front row? Kind of dressed up like a wannabe reporter?"

  
  


Fairchild nodded and smiled. "She looks hilarious."

  
  


"Well she asked about Miss Drew specifically and about her involvement."

  
  


Mr. Fairchild suddenly frowned and leaned towards the Gray Man. "She may or may not be a real reporter, detain her and see what you can find out."

  
  


The Gray Man nodded and signaled to a couple of Network agents that had arrived shortly after the kidnapping had been discovered. He stepped away from the podium and two toughs 'politely' escorted Miss Carlton from the room.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild stepped up to the podium amid many camera flashes. 

  
  


"Mr. Fairchild," began a young man politely, he had seen what happened to that other idiot, "did your daughter have bodyguards and how were they involved with this?"

  
  


"Elayne had three temporary bodyguards. They had an accident downtown today and have gone home to recuperate from severe injuries that will likely take some time to heal." Mr. Fairchild answered smoothly.

  
  


*******

  
  


Frank, Nancy and Joe sighed and looked at their watches the fifth time within the past twenty minutes. When was Mr. Fairchild going to get some word of where Elayne was? 

  
  


Frank sighed. "Maybe they killed her and buried her and they won't ever find a trace."

  
  


"Oh cheer up Frank," Nancy replied, "no one would go to so much trouble to abduct a girl and then kill her five minutes later."

  
  


"Yeah Frank, cheer up!" Joe encouraged.

  
  


The door suddenly opened and Fairchild burst in. "Colombia." he said "She's either in Colombia now or will be soon. The police also found a small trace in the road." he held up a earring and Nancy took it and examined it.

  
  


"There's blood on it!" 

  
  


Fairchild nodded. "They think she ripped it off or just had a hard time getting it off. She was trying to leave a clue. It's too bad her kidnappers were so fast."

  
  


Nancy shuddered and handed the earring to Frank who in turn passed it to Joe who gave it back to Mr. Fairchild. "At least we know what to look for to see if she left another sign," Joe concluded.

  
  


"Where to in Colombia?" Frank asked.

  
  


"The capital," Fairchild answered, "Bogota."

  
  


"Home of drug lords galore." Nancy mused thoughtfully.

"Indeed," Fairchild replied, "I have every confidence that you'll be able to handle yourselves there. I have already made reservations and you'll be able to pick up your tickets at the airport. Simply look under your name Frank. If you need help, your driver will be able to direct you to the appropriate counter."

  
  


"That sounds like everything is in order," Frank said. "How do we get out without anyone noticing us?"

  
  


"Your driver who is waiting outside the door will show you through the back."

  
  


"We'll bring back your daughter sir," Nancy promised.

  
  


"Don't make promises unless you absolutely know you can fulfill them," Fairchild replied smiling. "I have every faith and wish you luck."

  
  


"We'll do our best," Joe said.

  
  


"Oh, and one last thing," Fairchild added. "There's this young reporter from some River Chronicler or something like that who was inquiring directly about you Nancy. Do you know who she might be?"

  
  


Nancy frowned. "Brenda. She's a reporter from the local newspaper in my town. She always tries to get in on my cases and in the end blackmails us and threatens the investigation unless we give her some glory so she can write a Pulitzer-winning article."

  
  


Fairchild smiled mischievously. "Well, blackmail is illegal, and so is threatening a official investigation. If she ever does that again a gag order is the least you can do. I shall see to it that she is kept in the dark, and perhaps humbled a little." Fairchild laughed and showed them out the door to the Network driver who lead them down a back stairway.

  
  


As soon as they passed the kitchen they heard a familiar voice. "You have no right to detain me! I'm a star reporter from the River Heights Chronicle!"

  
  


"The River what? Sounds like some cheap magazine to me."

  
  


"It's a newspaper my father owns!"

  
  


"Then why can't you seem to contact your father, the famous paper owner?"

  
  


"I told you! He's on vacation, I can call him at his hotel right now if you'd let me." came Brenda's indignant voice.

  
  


"Any idiot could call a hotel and get someone to say they were something or another. What was it again? The writer to some cheap tabloid or something?"

  
  


The voices faded away as Frank, Nancy and Joe exited the Fairchild mansion. All three of them were stifling laughter.

  
  


*******

  
  


Frank woke up and yawned as the plane touched down in Bogota. Nancy and Joe were already up. "So, what's our first order of business?"

  
  


"If they've taken her all the way to Colombia its not just some petty criminal. I'd say whoever has her is involved in the local economy. Drugs." Nancy replied as she checked her purse and other belonging to make sure she didn't leave anything behind.

  
  


"Right," Frank replied, "that means that we need to get in on the local crime scene. Find out who's who and find out where they hang out. Maybe the local CIA spooks can help us in that department." 

  
  


"Sounds good to me," Joe said putting down his Sports Illustrated.

  
  


"Great," Nancy said, "let's go and check into a hotel, freshen up and pay a visit to the local U.S. embassy. We'll flash around our CIA ID's and they'll cooperate."

  
  


"Hopefully," Frank said. "We need to act professional. Don't talk a lot, don't say why we need the info or anything."

  
  


They stood up and began to disembark. "Let's just hope we can find Elayne before anything too horrible happens to her." Nancy said grimly.

  
  


*******

  
  


The man known as Raven stood and looked out the large window that overlooked the city. Had his men really been that successful in Denver? All three bodyguards wounded or hurt, or were they?

  
  


He doubted that they were that successful. What he really wanted to know was why there had been bodyguards. Did Andrew know? Or did he merely suspect or worry? 

  
  


Andrew had always been lucky. Just so long as he didn't remember. Everything depended on that. Whether or not Andrew remembered.

  
  
  
  


A/N: There it is, please review. It's appreciated.

  
  


SURVEY!!!

  
  


I've decided to do a question for each chapter I write. Your responses to this survey may affect the outcome of future chapters and stories to come- So either put your answer to this chapter's survey question in your review or email it to me at dreadnault@netscape.net

  
  


Question- What type of romance would you prefer to see in coming chapters and stories? Any romance would be mostly on the side-

  
  


Take into account-

  
  


Frank and Nancy

Frank and Callie

Nancy and Frank

Nancy and Ned

Joe and Vanessa

Joe and Elayne

  
  


Thank you for your cooperation-

  
  


Here's some addresses to some more of the Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew world-

  
  


www.hardydetectiveagency.com Wonderful fan-fiction archive and community-

  
  


For all you F/N shippers!

  
  


Sign the petition to bring back the Supermysteries!

  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  



	9. Bogota

Chapter Nine: Bogota

  
  
  
  


Frank, Nancy and Joe stood across the United States embassy in Bogota, Colombia planning how they were supposed to get in and get the information they needed. "Here's what we'll do," Frank instructed as the sidewalk crowds passed them by, "Joe, you stay out here and keep lookout, see if anyone is following us. Nancy, you'll go in with me. Sound all right?"

  
  


"What if I see a cute girl?" Joe asked in a joking voice. 

  
  


"Very funny Joe," Nancy said. "What do we do once we're in?"

  
  


"Get in and talk to the station chief." Frank replied.

  
  


"How do you know they call them station chiefs?" Joe said.

  
  


"We don't, it's a good guess though so we'll do it." Nancy said in support of Frank

  
  


"Great, but what if they send you off?" Joe asked.

  
  


"We'll flash our CIA cards. Fairchild said that anyone high enough to override those ID's would know about the Network anyway. I don't think a measly station chief is that high. We'll cow him and hope he knows something." Frank explained.

  
  


"What if it's a she?" Joe asked. "You might need my manly charm."

  
  


"Lay off," Nancy told Joe, "you're standing guard and we'll worry about what happens inside. You worry about what happens out here."

  
  


Joe rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

  
  


"Okay, I think we're ready." Frank said nervously.

  
  


Frank and Nancy looked both ways and crossed the street. The embassy gates were open and they walked past two marines guarding them Acting like they had every right to be there the pair professionally walked into the front door and up to the desk.

  
  


"Where can we find the CIA station-chief?" Frank asked in a normal tone.

  
  


"Why would two teens want to see the CIA station-chief?" the guard asked.

  
  


Nancy pulled out her CIA identification that she had unpacked when they had checked into their hotel, and showed it to the guard. "Why don't you let the CIA worry about that?" she said in a cool voice.

  
  


The guard's eyes bulged. "Yes ma'am. No offense intended at all. Have to be careful these days after all. Down the hall, last office on the right. Just ask Miss Brown to show let you in to his office. She's the secretary."

  
  


Nancy smiled sweetly. "Thank you." 

  
  


Frank and Nancy strode down the hall and into the last door on the right. They entered the office closing the door behind them. Miss Brown, as the nameplate on her desk pronounced her, was sitting in front of a computer and intently studying the screen.

  
  


"Um, excuse us." Frank said politely.

  
  


Miss Brown looked up from her desk and smiled. "How may I help you?"

  
  


"We need to get in to see the station chief here, what was his name again?" Nancy replied.

  
  


"Davis, Mark Davis," Miss Brown answered smoothly. "I'm afraid he's busy this afternoon. Perhaps if you scheduled an appointment."

  
  


Nancy pulled out her CIA identification for the second time and showed it to the secretary. "It's important."

  
  


Miss Brown looked like she about to die of shock. "Sorry ma'am, go right in."

  
  


Nancy smiled sweetly as she had gotten used to doing. "Thank you."

  
  


The pair entered to find a rather average man sitting at a fairly empty desk. He didn't look busy at all. "What?" he asked rudely.

  
  


Nancy who had kept her ID out showed it to him and he sat up.

  
  


"How may I help you?" Mr. Davis greeted them, much more cordially as he gestured for them to sit down.

  
  


Frank spoke as he and Nancy sat down in the chairs in front of Davis's desk. "You can help us by getting us the lowdown on the locals here. We need to know about local drug lords that may have connections within the U.S. or connections to arms-dealing. We need to know their hang-outs, where we can meet them, and their hideouts."

  
  


Mr. Davis frowned suspiciously. "Drug lords with arms dealings?"

  
  


"That's what he said wasn't it?" Nancy asked. 

  
  


Mr. Davis nodded. "Sir, ma'am, this is Colombia. Drug lords don't deal in arms and you'd be hard pressed to not find one with connections in the U.S."

  
  


"Oh?" Nancy said as she arched her eyebrow cooly.

  
  


"What about their hideouts and hangouts in town?" Frank inquired.

  
  


Mr. Davis spread his hands. "I can't help you there either. My men have been hard-pressed due to current events, not only that I am understaffed. The drug lords aren't as obvious as you might think, sir, ma'am."

  
  


Frank frowned unhappily. "Current events have not been current events forever. You must know something!" 

  
  


Just then the door opened and the secretary, Miss Brown strode in with a file. "This just came in from headquarters sir." She handed the file to Mr. Davis.

  
  


Mr. Davis took it and scanned it before setting it down. "Thank you Miss Brown." She left the office, Frank noted that she neglected to close the door.

  
  


"Again," Nancy said, "is there anything you know? Anything that could help us. Whereabouts, names, hangouts, dealings, connections?"

  
  


"I'm afraid not ma'am." Mr. Davis replied with a oily smile, "The CIA doesn't know much about drug-lords these days."

  
  


Frank and Nancy left the station-chief with instructions to contact them at their hotel if anything came up. He saw them off with another oily smile.

  
  


"I bet he knew something!" Nancy fumed as they left the office. Miss Brown was not at her desk. 

  
  


Frank nodded. "Why wouldn't he tell us though?" 

  
  


"Probably just trying to be a pain in the rear end." Nancy scowled.

  
  


Just as they prepared to leave the embassy Miss Brown intercepted them. She looked both ways to make sure no one was looking. "Look, sir, ma'am, whoever you are. I'm Davis's secretary and I don't like how things are going. Do you know why we're understaffed? It's because our agents keep having accidents. There's a leak. There must be!"

  
  


Nancy nodded, "Go on."

  
  


"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation." Miss Brown handed a file to Nancy as she spoke quickly. "This is everything you needed. I don't know why Davis wouldn't give it to you. Our one agent, 'Edward' has been forwarding report after report about a drug dealer involved with arms dealing. His reports are ignored by Davis. Edward also has numerous accidents that he barely survives. I can't prove it but I think Davis needs to be looked into. You didn't hear it from me either. Got that?"

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded. "Don't worry, we'll see that something is done about this."

  
  


Miss Brown nodded and scurried off back towards Davis's office.

  
  


"That was odd." Nancy commented.

  
  


"I'd say so." Frank replied.

  
  


**********

  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild thumbed through his personal correspondence. The press was still camping out at the mansion and the police still were at a loss. Good thing I have the Network, Fairchild thought.

  
  


Fairchild smiled with amusement as he recalled his little interview with Miss Carlton. It turned out that she was indeed a reporter from the River Heights Chronicle. He hoped that he had scared her enough to leave Nancy alone. She had served a very useful purpose as well. She was over dramatic and a few words said here and there had gotten her to write a story that would surely confuse anybody with brains.

  
  


The door opened and Amanda walked in. It seemed that she had been there for him a lot of late. "Anything interesting happening in the world?" he asked as she laid a tray with two plate and two cups down and sat down across from him.

  
  


"Other than your daughter's kidnapping?" Amanda asked taking one of the plates and glasses.

  
  


"Who doesn't know about Elayne's kidnapping? I'll wager that the press thinks they know more about her than I do."

  
  


"You wouldn't be far off," Amanda replied dryly. She had bothered to read the morning newspaper. "Soon the tabloids will be screaming that Elayne ran away with the family fortune to spend it on gorillas and live in the wild."

  
  


"If that's the best they can do the tabloids are in trouble," Fairchild chuckled. "Don't worry, Elayne will be all right soon. I have the best people on it. Better than me even."

  
  


"It's not her I'm worried about?" Amanda said boldly.

  
  


"Who are you worried about?" Fairchild asked setting down the mail and taking his plate and glass. "The gorillas?"

  
  


"You." Amanda replied. "You always seem to cover up your emotions. I'm worried that you're taking this too hard and it'll be too late before you'll admit you need help."

  
  


"Why would you worry about me? I'm sure Elayne would let you stay here for the rest of your life, whether or not I got sent to the psychiatric ward or not."

  
  


"Because I love you." Amanda said firmly as she set down her glass after taking a sip of water.

  
  


Andrew Fairchild stared at the young woman in her early twenties who sat across from him as if she had declared that she was a convict. "What?"

  
  


"Didn't you hear me? I said I love you."

  
  


Fairchild's mouth moved but no sound came out. "That's ridiculous." he finally got out.

  
  


Amanda stood up, walked around the desk, pulled Fairchild out of his chair and kissed him. Hard. "I said I love you."

  
  


Fairchild gulped. "I believe you did." 

  
  


Amanda was interrupted as the door opened and the Gray Man strode in. She quickly stepped away from Andrew and turned to face Mr. Gray.

  
  


"Hello Arthur," Mr. Fairchild said casually as he picked up his drink and drained it halfway. "How fares the world?"

  
  


"Badly," Arthur responded shortly.

  
  


"What's wrong now?" Fairchild asked resignedly.

  
  


"Someone has been sending letter filled with an un-identified poisonous substance to D.C.. Half the bureaucracy is either dead or incapacitated. Another fifteen percent is expected to fall victim to this."

  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild dropped his glass and it shattered on his desk.

  
  


*******

  
  


"This stuff is great!" Joe exclaimed as he, Nancy, and Frank pored over the file that Miss Brown had given them. 

  
  


Frank nodded. "We don't even really need to check out any of the clubs. We could just walk onto one of these guy's haciendas and bust Elayne out."

  
  


"Look at this one," Nancy pointed out. "Drugs, arms, connections in the U.S. and a heavy increase in action these last few month."

  
  


"What's his name?" Frank asked.

  
  


"Juarez Santiago." Nancy answered as she continued to scan over his dossier. 

  
  


"Do you think he's the one?" Joe asked eagerly.

  
  


"It's possible," Nancy replied. "There's one other possibility though."

  
  


"Who?" Frank said.

  
  


"A fellow by the name of Carlos Raphael."

  
  


"Same dealings?" Frank asked.

  
  


Nancy nodded. "Basically. Santiago has connections in Florida and the southeast. Raphael has connections in California and the west coast."

  
  


"Great.," Joe said, "we have to find out which one it probably is."

  
  


"There's one good thing," Nancy pointed out. "They both hang out at the same club."

  
  


"What club is that?" Frank asked.

  
  


"The Mango Tree." Nancy replied.

  
  


Joe scoffed, "That's a lame name!"

  
  


Nancy shrugged. "It's all we have for a lead. We'll have to try it."

  
  


"We'll go tonight, act like we're rich Americans with 'connections." Frank said. "We'll meet these guys and see if we can get them to let something slip accidentally."

  
  


"Sounds good to me." Nancy said.

  
  


Joe nodded as well.

  
  


********

Amanda carefully listened at Andrew's door. She'd made him go and get some sleep. He hadn't slept since Elayne had been kidnapped and she was worried that he would work himself to death. He was tossing and turning, he was breathing heavily. A lot of good the sleep was doing him. He was better off awake. Amanda held back her tears and walked down the hall to her own room.

  
  


~~~~~~~~

  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild bolted upright in his bed. He had been more startled at the events in D.C. rather than the repercussions when Arthur had brought the bad news. He hadn't understood why though, at first. He knew now though. He knew what was happening.

  
  


Phillip.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Drug Lords and Arms Dealers

  
  
  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild paced back and forth across his office. Phillip. There was no way under heaven that Frank, Nancy, and Joe would be able to take Phillip on single handedly. True, most likely he wouldn't seek them out. Phillip believed in delegation. Surprising for such a criminal who couldn't afford to trust anybody. Phillip would only send a gang after them, or send assassins to kill them, or at least have attempts made. He wouldn't hunt them personally. There was a story, a swordsman who had never been defeated, who had met his first defeat after an astonishing career at the hands of a farm boy with a quarterstaff. 

  
  


Phillip knew the story well. However, if they hunted Phillip, and sought him out, Phillip would crush them to a pulp, if they were lucky. 

  
  


Andrew sighed. There was no way for it. He was going to have to go to Colombia and hunt Phillip down, and then kill him. What threatened the United States now would die with Phillip. Andrew began to pack his bags.

  
  


*********

  
  


The Raven sat at his desk in a dark and shadowy room. His secretary was giving a report. Apparently agents had been sent to find and rescue young Elayne. He toyed with a black pen absently as the young man droned on, and on, and on.

  
  


"Does this. . . trio appear to have any skill?" Raven asked.

  
  


"Our correspondent does not know." the nervous young man replied.

  
  


"Fool. The dumb fool. What does he think he gets payed for? Have them watched. If they appear to be getting too warm do something about it."

  
  


"Yes sir." the young man replied meekly turning to scurry from the office. 

  
  


"One minute," Raven said, stopping the secretary. "Have their movements watched carefully. The absolute last thing I need is for them to see my face when I go out on the streets."

  
  


"May I ask why sir?"

  
  


"If they see my face you incompetent fool they WILL mention it to Fairchild, whether or not they comprehend the importance of my face. I don't need the head of the United States Central Network hunting me down."

  
  


*******

  
  


Frank, Nancy, and Joe strolled down the streets as the sun slowly set. They were doing their best to hid their nervousness. 

  
  


"Just walk quickly," Frank advised, "don't look anyone in the eyes."

  
  


"I wish we could find a taxi," Nancy said faintly.

  
  


Joe looked down at the direction the desk clerk at the hotel had written down for them. "Don't worry you guys, its on the next block anyway. We'll be there in no time."

  
  


Frank nodded absently as he scanned the crowds. For the past twenty minutes it had felt as if someone was following them. There were too many people to try and spot familiar faces, and he didn't see anyone that looked as if they were following him. Maybe it was just his imagination.

  
  


"What do we do once we get there?" Nancy asked as she also scanned the streets.

  
  


Frank thought for a moment. "Once in the club we'll just hang out and have fun. Try and socialize with the locals and see if you spot anyone fitting the description of Santiago or Raphael. Then we'll strike up a conversation or something with them."

  
  


Nancy and Joe nodded slowly as they passed several street booths closing down for the night. "That seems fine to me." Nancy commented. "Joe, why don't you act like a bachelor or something? Talk to all the girls and see what you can get from them. Gossip, news, anything. Frank and I can work together. We'll act like we have stuff to sale and we're looking for a market. That ought to attract the attention of a crime lord."

  
  


Frank and Joe nodded in agreement. "Excellent plan Nancy," Frank commented.

  
  


"Hey guys," Joe said, "see that one girl back there? The one with that red scarf?"

  
  


"What about her?" Frank asked, frowning.

  
  


"I think she's following us." Joe replied.

  
  


Just then they came to an alley. "Duck in here!" Frank whispered tersely.

  
  


The trio quickly dodged into the alley with Frank in the lead. "Keep going!" Joe urged. "We're losing her!"

  
  


Frank, Nancy, and Joe burst from the alley into the next street and ran to the left. "Back down the next alley," Joe directed as they walked quickly. "It's the one next to the club."

  
  


Frank and Nancy nodded affirmatively and the three dashed down the next alley and came out right next to the door to the club. They stopped and as Nancy smoothed her skirt they walked into the crowded and wild environment. 

  
  


Music echoed off the walls and couples danced wildly on the dance floor. Patrons sat in booth and tables along the wall sipping various beverages and eating food. A few of the people hanging about looked as if they had had one to many sniffs of cocaine, or some other drug for that matter.

  
  


"Well," Frank said, "see any potential drug lords around?"

  
  


"They're not that easy to spot," Nancy said as she looked around.

  
  


"I know, I know, I'm just kidding Drew." 

  
  


"Well, see you two later," Joe said as he spotted a cute girl and sauntered off.

  
  


"Well, I guess that leaves the two of us," Frank said nervously to Nancy.

  
  


Nancy smiled. "Let's grab that empty table over there and order something. I'm famished."

  
  


The two walked over and sat down opposite each other on a table. "Pretty wild place." Frank commented.

  
  


"Do you think we should call Fairchild about these guys if we can't find anything on them?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"Don't know," Frank replied thoughtfully. "If he had known who was who he would have told us I think."

  
  


The couple stopped talking as a waiter came over and took their orders. They resumed again when he left.

  
  


"Bet he works for either Santiago or Raphael," Nancy observed sourly as she sipped some water.

  
  


"In this place everyone works for somebody," Frank answered as he studied the dance floor and other patrons.

  
  


Nancy sighed. "All too true."

  
  


About fifteen minutes later the waiter appeared with their orders. Frank had ordered a sort of taco salad dish and Nancy had ordered chicken fajitas. "Looks like Joe has gotten into trouble." Frank said.

  
  


"How?" Nancy asked, slowly turning her head to look in the same direction.

  
  


"Looks like he went and flirted with someone's girlfriend." Joe was having a conversation with a fairly average, but very well dressed Hispanic. He then pointed towards Frank and Nancy.

  
  


"It looks like he's decided to dump it on us too." Nancy said.

  
  


The man approached their table with two toughs trailing behind them. Frank and Nancy stood up, smiled and shook his hand when he reached the table. 

  
  


"My name is Santiago," he addressed them in a mildly accented voice, "your friend over there tells me that you might have some. . . material I might be interested in."

  
  


"Indeed," Frank replied, "for the right price we can get anything."

  
  


*******

  
  


Joe discreetly watched as Santiago sat down with Frank and Nancy. It had been an absolute streak of luck to bump into him! Of course, if he hadn't come up with that story about Frank and Nancy being arms dealers, Santiago would have punched his lights out. Smart move Hardy, flirt with the local drug lord's girlfriend.

  
  


He wished that those two toughs would go somewhere else. The fact that they were hanging about at Frank and Nancy's table worried him. The wrong move and they could all find themselves in extremely hot water. Either that, or in a bucket of cement. That had happened to he and Frank before while working for the Network. It had not been pleasant. 

  
  


Joe scanned the patrons again. Nothing had changed at Frank and Nancy's table. They must be pulling this off well, Joe thought. Abruptly he noticed that someone was watching the table, and trying to be discreet. 

  
  


Joe studied the man. Late twenties perhaps. Hispanic. He didn't seem to fit into the club's atmosphere. He didn't belong, and from the look on his face, it seemed he didn't like the club, especially Santiago it seemed. Maybe this guy could help. Joe shifted over towards the man.

  
  


"What up amigo?" Joe asked.

  
  


The man jumped. "What does it matter to you, gringo?" he replied in English with a very thick accent.

  
  


"Oh nothing," Joe replied casually. "Just wanted to know why you've taken such an interest in that man over there."

  
  


The man studied Joe suspiciously. "Why it matter to you?" 

  
  


"I'm interested in him too. What's your name?"

  
  


"I am Juan." he replied.

  
  


"Tell me Juan, why are you so interested in him?" Joe said.

  
  


"He is evil man. He steal many villagers from my village. Make them work for him, for nothing. The government, it do nothing. I watch him, and follow him. I maybe kill him, then free friends and neighbors."

  
  


Joe was getting excited. "Have you seen a white teenage girl within the past day, or maybe two?"

  
  


Juan nodded sadly. "Yes, when I watch Santiago hacienda very early in this morning I see her brought there. Keep her prisoner. I sometime heard her scream."

  
  


Joe's heart clenched. How could they do that? How could anyone have the heart to do that? He was going to get them for this! "Is she alive?"

  
  


Juan spread his hands. "I do not know. I think maybe."

  
  


Joe's mind raced. They could use Juan! He was a local who knew the area and the movements of Santiago quite well. He could lead them to where Elayne was. The only problem, convincing Juan. "Hey, my friends and I need to save that girl. If you help us get to the hacienda and serve as our guide we could also free your people with the girl."

  
  


"I don't know senor," Juan replied nervously, his eyes darting back and forth scanning the crowd. "What if you're one of Santiago's agents and this is a trap?"

  
  


"I swear, I'm not a agent for Santiago. My friends and I hate him just has much as you do. Together we could bring him down and free the prisoners."

  
  


"How do I know that you speak truly?" Juan replied doubtfully. 

  
  


Gee, Joe though, it's a little late to be having reservations. He pulled out his wallet with his CIA card and showed it to Juan.

  
  


Juan's eyes bulged out. "American CIA?" he whispered.

  
  


Joe nodded. "Just keep it quiet. Okay? You can trust us."

  
  


"My friends follow CIA better than they follow me," Juan said.

  
  


"That's good." Joe replied. "When do we head out to the hacienda? When's the best time?"

  
  


"As soon as possible," Juan said quietly, "If you want rescue girl speed is essential. Tonight maybe. I gather up friends and we all go together."

  
  


Joe nodded. "Good." He pulled a piece of notepaper from his pocket and wrote on it. "Meet us here." he directed.

  
  


Juan looked at the note and nodded before tearing it up and destroying it. "You should never write stuff down. Even if you are CIA."

  
  


Joe could have smacked himself on the head. Whoops! He watched as Juan threaded his way through the crowds and left. Joe stood there in the same spot for a moment longer before heading near Frank and Nancy's table. They and Santiago were still talking. Joe grabbed Frank's eye and he motioned his head outside. Frank nodded slightly.

  
  


Joe stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled outside something caught his eye but when he looked again it was gone, must have only been his imagination. He was joined several minutes later Frank and Nancy. "What's this about?" Nancy asked in a fierce whisper. "We nearly got him to drop something and then you motioned at Frank."

  
  


"Forget that," Joe replied smiling broadly. "I talked with one of the locals. He said he knew where Santiago's hacienda is and that a gringo teenage girl was brought there this morning. I convinced him to take us there tonight."

  
  


"Good work Joe!" Frank congratulated him.

  
  


"What if it's a set up?" Nancy asked. 

  
  


"We'll just have to be extra careful," Frank replied.

  
  


"Hey you two," Joe said his mind going back to just before he walked out the door. "When I walked out the door I could have sworn that I saw Mr. Fairchild somewhere in there. When I looked he was gone."

  
  


Frank looked thoughtful. "It must have been your imagination." 

  
  


Joe shrugged, "That's what I reckon as well."

  
  


"Oh well," Nancy said.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews! :)

  
  


Chapter Eleven: Assault on the Hacienda

  
  
  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild smiled grimly as he sipped a glass of fruit punch. Tonight was the night either he or Phillip would die. No sane person alive would care to wager on the outcome. The future of the world depended on the events of tonight. Arthur had contacted him about the situation in Washington. The poison letters had been stopped. Slowly doctors were coming up with ways to treat the terrible disease. Phillip would know that though.

  
  


The missiles would leave Bogota or Santiago's hacienda by truck tonight. They would then be loaded onto smuggling boats at Cartagena. From those boats they would be loaded into old scrap warships that would be able to launch them. The future was bleak if those missiles could not be stopped.

  
  


A man sauntered past Fairchild's table. Fairchild was careful not to look up. All would be for naught if Raven recognized him. He stood up and followed.

  
  


********

  
  


Frank cringed as the ancient truck he was in sped over another rut in the dirt road to Santiago's hacienda. Couldn't they slow down? He hoped that Nancy and Joe were having a better time. They had separated into two companies. He and Juan's team were coming to the hacienda from the north and Joe and Nancy's team was coming from the south.

  
  


Wincing Frank looked up and scanned the grim faces of Juan's friends. Some might die in the assault tonight. They thought it was worth it though. Worth it to free their villagers and friends. Many only had machetes. Frank was probably the only one with a gun other than Juan. It was the same one Fairchild had given them after Elayne's kidnapping. Juan had the gun that Fairchild had given to them when they had been hired by Fairchild to protect Elayne. 

  
  


The truck came to an abrupt halt, throwing the passengers forward. "This is as far as we drive," Juan said. "We sneak to hacienda."

  
  


Frank nodded silently. "Just give me warning before we hit it," he instructed in a whisper as they silently got out of the truck.

  
  


*******

  
  


Nancy and Joe followed the villagers slowly through the heavy jungle attempting to be silent. No matter how they tried, they were no match for the young men they followed. Suddenly they all stopped and some of the young men began to whisper in fast voices. 

  
  


Nancy tapped one on his shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked.

  
  


The man named Carlos translated. "Guards senora, what shall we do?"

  
  


Nancy looked at Joe and he shrugged. Finally Joe came up with something. "Can you take them down silently?"

  
  


"We will try senor." Carlos replied. He motioned everyone into the jungle and off the trail. Another couple of villagers hid behind some trees beside the trail waiting to ambush the coming guards. 

  
  


Soon a pair of bobbing flashlights came into view. Nancy could hear them talking casually. They weren't expecting anything. Good. As they came closer Nancy could dimly make out that they were carrying machine guns. Even better. 

  
  


The guards finally approached the men laying in wait. The ambush was sprung as the pair of villagers jumped on the guards. Nancy winced as she watched. All it would take was a little gun shot or shout. 

  
  


After a couple of minutes the fight was over. The guards were knocked out. "Tie them up," Joe instructed the villagers. They nodded and used the guards' belts to tie them up and scarves to gag them. 

  
  


"Put them off the trail," Nancy said, "we'll come back for them later." She and Joe grabbed the guards' guns. They would come in handy.

  
  


*******

  
  


Andrew Fairchild silently stalked through the jungle on the way to the hacienda. There was no need to follow Phillip any longer. No need for more risk than necessary. As he walked he molded the plastic explosives into the appropriate shapes that would effectively blow up a heavy semi and its contents. 

  
  


Next he set the remote detonators in the middle of the blobs. All he would have to do was stick the plastic explosive on the bottom of each truck and he could blow those trucks up from the other side of the world. Assuming that the explosives weren't discovered by then of course. 

  
  


That would be useful. Andrew had no wish to have the Colombian government connect him to the blast that would result from two little bombs.

  
  


********

  
  


Frank slowly and cautiously looked out from behind a large tree at Santiago's hacienda. It was elegant and fairly large, but flat. It had not been built for defense. However, the guards surrounding it would be a problem. 

  
  


The main focus of attention was two semi trucks. Very large wooden crates were being loaded into the trucks. It looked as if they were almost finished with the task. Frank scanned the premises trying to come up with ideas. It was his group's job to distract the guards while Nancy and Joe's group stormed the hacienda and rescued Elayne. "Any ideas amigo?" Frank asked Juan.

  
  


Juan shrugged. "Try to start a fire maybe. That distract them. Cargo look very valuable. They won't want it to go up in flames."

  
  


Frank scanned the place for something that they could set on fire. His eyes finally came to rest on the gazebo that was a bit away from the main building. That would work, but how to set it on fire? As Frank looked around some more he spotted some barrels of gasoline near the generator building. Perfect.

  
  


"Juan," Frank whispered, "do any of your men have some bottles on them?"

  
  


Juan turned and spoke in hushed tones to the group. Four of them pulled out glass pop bottles from their packs. "Like this?" Juan asked.

  
  


"That's great." Frank whispered and he motioned towards the barrels. "Now we need to 'borrow' some gasoline from one of those barrels ."

  
  


"I'll go with you," Juan said.

  
  


Frank nodded. "Good, get those bottles."

  
  


The pair slowly sneaked through the night towards the barrels. When they arrived Frank filled them up three-quarters full. He and Juan then sneaked back to where they had left the villagers. Frank began to instruct them. "Here's what we do, we stick some paper into these, light the paper on fire and chuck them into that gazebo. Any questions?"

  
  


*******

  
  


Nancy stared as the gazebo on the other side of the hacienda burst into flames. She snapped out of reverie and motioned towards the villagers to follow. Taking the safety off one of the guns they had taken from the guards, she and Joe charged into the compound and towards the hacienda as guards and people from within the hacienda ran towards the gazebo to put the fire out.

  
  


*******

  
  


Fairchild nearly laughed as he watched Santiago's gazebo burst into flame. It looked like the Hardys and Drew were around. Taking advantage of the guards' distraction he darted across the compound and jumped under the nearest semi.

  
  


*******

  
  
  
  


Nancy and Joe charged into the hacienda wielding their guns with the young Colombian men following them. On their way in they had been forced to shoot several of the guards. The halls were deserted.

  
  


"The basement, quickly!" one of the Colombians urged.

  
  


Nancy and Joe nodded as they quickly went through the house looking for a way into the basement. "There!" Joe pointed towards a staircase that led down. 

  
  


The group stormed down the stairs. "Elayne!" Nancy yelled. "Elayne! Can you hear me?"

  
  


"This way!" came a female voice that was heavily accented.

  
  


The party rushed down the hall towards the door that the call had come from. Joe and a burly man broke the door down. Nancy and Joe entered quickly.

  
  


Inside the room were approximately fifty women and children. On one of the cots Nancy spotted bright red hair. It was Elayne. She and Joe rushed over as the men behind them rushed into the room grabbing their wives and children and hugging them. Her face was streaked with blood and her arms covered with bruises. 

  
  


"Elayne!" Joe said as he gently shook her awake. "Elayne."

  
  


Elayne slowly opened her eyes and looked at Joe and Nancy. "I knew you would come." she said weakly.

  
  


*******

  
  


Fairchild quickly stuck the explosives on the bottom of the semi trailers. He would wait to set them off. It was best if the trucks were far from civilization before they exploded. He rolled out from beneath the second trailer and ran back to the jungle. Now he had to wait for Phillip. For Phillip would come.

  
  


*******

  
  


"Are you okay Elayne?" Joe asked with heavy concern.

  
  


"I'll live I suppose." Elayne replied weakly with a smile.

  
  


"What did they do to you?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"Hardly a tale fit to entertain," Elayne commented. "Perhaps I'll tell you later."

  
  


"We have to get out of here now." Nancy instructed.

  
  


Elayne shook her head weakly. "We have to go to Santiago's office first. They wanted to know if my father knew their plans. They do not think he does. I don't think so either. Not that I let them know that though. I heard one of the guards talking about where they were kept. We need to get the plans and show my father."

  
  


Joe nodded. "That's what we should do Nancy."

  
  


"We'll do it," Nancy agreed. She turned to Carlos who was holding hands with what appeared to be his young wife. "Carlos, you'll have to lead everyone out of here."

  
  


Carlos nodded soberly. "I will. How can we ever thank you for all of your help?"

  
  


Nancy shrugged. "Let's wait until this is over before we talk like that."

  
  


Carlos smiled and nodded. He left the room with everyone but Nancy, Joe and Elayne.

  
  


Elayne tried to sit up. "You'll have to help me up." she said wincing.

  
  


Joe stepped forward and helped her up. "Are you sure you can stand let alone walk?" he asked with apprehension.

  
  


Elayne nodded. "Just get me up and I'll be great."

  
  


Joe lifted her off the cot and stood her on her feet gingerly. "Are you sure? If you can't I'll help you."

  
  


"I'm sure." Elayne replied as she attempted to maintain her balance and succeeded.

  
  


"Let's go then," Nancy instructed. 

  
  


Following Elayne's weak lead they slowly went up the stairs, across the house and into Santiago's empty office. Nancy stepped up to the window and looked out. "Joe, the fire is going out, we'd better hurry."

  
  


"It's in here somewhere," Elayne told them weakly.

  
  


Nancy and Joe began to ransack Santiago's office.

  
  


*******

  
  


Frank and his group continued to keep out of sight as they watched the gazebo fire burn. Or rather, smolder. They had managed to put out the fire fairly quickly. Frank spotted Santiago yelling and giving fierce instructions in Spanish. He was gesturing wildly and pointing to men. Finally they broke up. All of the guards except three got into the semis. The other three remained with Santiago. Frank watched the semis pull out on to the dirt road and head north. He hoped that there was nothing bad on those trucks, because he didn't know how to stop them. 

  
  


Suddenly Santiago and his guards turned and went into the house. "Juan!" Frank exclaimed. "If we don't do something they're going to catch Joe and Nancy!

  
  


********

  
  


"Here it is!" Nancy called out as she scanned the contents of a manila folder. "We can leave now."

  
  


Suddenly a familiar voice spoke. "I'm afraid you will not be going anywhere."

  
  


Nancy, Joe and Elayne spun around to face Santiago and his three guards. 

  
  


Santiago stepped forward and struck Elayne to the ground. Joe growled and stepped forward but one of the guards held up a gun. "I wouldn't advise that Mr. Hardy." Santiago said coldly. He then turned towards Elayne who was lying on the floor. "What did I say about you trying to escape Miss Fairchild?"

  
  


Elayne didn't respond. She just glared at Santiago.

  
  


"You've burned down my gazebo and freed my slaves," Santiago said in a extremely unhappy voice. "I will not kill you, but I will make you wish that I would kill you, for a while anyway."

  
  


"My father will strangle you to death when he gets his hands on you." Elayne said in a strong voice.

  
  


"I'm not afraid of your father," Santiago replied cooly. "I think that he is a fool. Not only that, I don't believe he is a match for the Raven."

  
  


"Who's the Raven?" Joe asked trying to hold Santiago off.

  
  


Santiago grinned evilly, "Don't you know?" 

  
  


The three shook their heads no. Santiago laughed harshly.

  
  


Abruptly they were interrupted as Frank, Juan and some of the other natives burst into the room. They attacked Santiago and soon had he and his guards subdued. "How are things going?" Frank asked cheerily.

  
  


********

  
  


The man nicknamed Raven stepped from his car and walked forward scanning the glowing embers of Santiago's gazebo. No one was there. Whoever had set it on fire had most likely succeeded. Santiago was easily distracted. At least the semis were on their way to Cartagena. 

  
  


"It's been a long time Phillip." came the voice of Andrew S. Fairchild.

  
  


Phillip C. Fairchild spun around to face his twin brother. "What are you doing here?" Phillip demanded angrily.

  
  


Andrew smiled. "Why do you think Phillip? My daughter disappears, an obvious effort to distract me. Then the next day poisonous mail is received in Washington D.C. You had it planned rather well, I admit. It might have worked. Overthrowing the government. If that failed you had a wild card up your sleeve. Me. You could impersonate the head of the United States Central Network. You would have had command over the armed forces as the bureaucracy in Washington was destroyed. You know that the President would turn power to me, or someone who looked like me in such an emergency. You made only one mistake Phillip."

  
  


"What was that?" Phillip replied coldly.

  
  


"Instead of playing games like the normal child did you laid out battle plans and other plans. How to blow up a building, how to take over a government. One of those plans you repeatedly rehearsed out and planned. This plan. I recognized it Phillip. The instant you turned eighteen you joined the CIA and became one of the top agents alongside me. Then you turned to a renegade. I should have known that it was only a matter of time." Andrew Fairchild finished his explanation with a sigh.

  
  


"A matter of time until what?" Phillip snarled.

  
  


"Until I was forced to kill you." Andrew replied. Slowly he lifted up his right hand and place it just above his heart, clutching the open edge of his coat and pressing it to his chest.

  
  


Phillip grinned inwardly. Andrew had one health problem. His heart. He wagered ten to one that as they spoke Andrew was suffering from a heart attack. This type of situation was a stressful one at best. "How do you intend to kill me Phillip? I see that you are not armed, and even if you are you're in no position to kill me."

  
  


Andrew smiled, "You're a dead man Phillip."

  
  


Philip growled as his hand shot into his coat for his gun. Andrew's right hand dropped from where he had been holding it as Phillip's gun cleared his shoulder holster.

  
  


***********

"Wonderful now that you're here!" Elayne said brightly, despite her obvious pain and suffering. 

  
  


The men that had followed Frank in dragged the guards and Santiago out and closed the door leaving Frank, Nancy, Joe and Elayne in peace.

  
  


Their heads snapped towards the window as a single gun shot sounded from outside. "What was that!" Nancy asked. 

  
  


Frank shrugged. "Probably some stray guard or villager. Don't worry they won't get to us. We're safe and secure here now."

  
  


"We're glad you showed up." Joe said to Frank. "How did you know to come?"

  
  


"I saw Santiago and his three guards go into the house. I knew they were about to find you." Frank answered. "Say, do you know what was on those semis?" 

  
  


Nancy opened the folder she was holding and scanned it her face going pale. "Missiles and explosives," she replied.

  
  


*********

  
  


Andrew S. Fairchild glanced at the antique derringer in his hand. It was a sleeve-draw type. Back in the 19th century it had been the fastest draw in the west. His grandfather had given it to him when he entered the CIA. Andrew had never suspected that he would kill his brother with it.

  
  


He stepped forward and looked at Phillip's corpse. There was a black-sheep in every family it seemed. It was a shame that he had been forced to deal with his family's black sheep. Fairchild sighed as he pulled out the remote explosive device from his pocket. He pressed the button. From several miles away he heard a large explosion. It was over.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Epilogue to come. :) 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

  
  


"What were you doing running around that hacienda in the condition you were in?" Fairchild asked Elayne as she lay in a hospital bed. The room was empty excepting for Elayne and her father. Fairchild was sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed.

  
  


"You heard the doctor Dad, it was only five broken ribs." Elayne said as she rolled her eyes.

  
  


"Five! How did you know it was five while you were at the hacienda? You had no way of knowing." Fairchild replied trying to keep calm.

  
  


"It didn't matter how many at the time. I figured that if I could walk and stand up I was in well enough condition." Elayne replied.

  
  


"Then what are you doing in the hospital now?" 

  
  


"Because the local doctors want to do all sort of checkups on me. They don't seem to understand that I'm perfectly fine." Elayne replied in an annoyed voice.

  
  


Fairchild sighed. "I give up!"

  
  


Elayne smiled broadly. "It's about time!"

  
  


"While we're at this I might as well tell you the news. As soon as you get well and we go back to the U.S. you're going to get a step-mother." Fairchild said.

  
  


"Really!" Elayne replied in a excited voice. "Is it Amanda? Can we go now?"

  
  


"How did you know?" Fairchild demanded.

  
  


"I've known for ages Dad! She really loves you."

  
  


"So she told me the other day," Fairchild replied dryly.

  
  


"Can I help plan the wedding?"

  
  


"You'll have to ask Amanda about that." Fairchild said, smiling.

  
  


Elayne was now beaming, all injuries forgotten. "Be sure to thank Joe, Nancy, and Frank for me. Especially Joe." 

  
  


Fairchild nodded as he stood up. "I will, especially Joe." He snickered as he left the room. Elayne had a crush. . . . 

  
  


*********

  
  


Frank, Nancy, and Joe sat eating breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Mr. Fairchild arrived and sat down at their table.

  
  


"I'm sorry that I haven't had enough time to talk to you yet," he said. "I've been worried about Elayne. She seems fine, and acts fine but she could be acting for all I know."

  
  


"That's okay," Nancy said graciously as she buttered a roll.

  
  


"She also wants me to thank you all, especially Joe." Fairchild winked at Joe who blushed.

  
  


"Tell us about that guy you shot outside Santiago's hacienda," Joe prompted.

  
  


Mr. Fairchild sighed. "He was my twin brother. He fits into the 'evil twin' cliche rather well."

  
  


"So he was behind Elayne's kidnapping? Why?" Frank asked.

  
  


"Elayne's kidnapping was meant to be a distraction." Fairchild explained. "Phillip was planning to overthrow the government while I was off chasing Elayne and her kidnappers. However, thanks to you the attempt was stopped, the weapons were destroyed and Elayne is safe. Speaking of which, I owe you your reward money." He pulled out his checkbook.

  
  


"You don't need to do that!" Nancy protested.

  
  


"Why not?" Fairchild asked.

  
  


"We just like to solve cases," Frank explained, "we never take the rewards for doing it."

  
  


Fairchild smiled and put his checkbook away. "It's contrary to my nature to let you go away unrewarded. You like to solve cases and mysteries, then perhaps I can use my resources to help you. Remember those expense account credit cards I gave you? Use those on whatever case you're working on. Or use them to buy equipment to help you."

  
  


"Thank you Mr. Fairchild," Joe said.

  
  


"No problem." Fairchild replied.

  
  


"When do we begin training for the Network?" Nancy asked eagerly.

  
  


"After you get back. I'll contact you about it. You'll get some more cool equipment, and all the training and info you could possibly want." Fairchild said.

  
  


"Sounds good to me!" Frank said.

  
  


"Will you put us on a new case soon?" Nancy asked.

  
  


"When one comes up that I need you on," Fairchild answered as he stood up, "chances are, it'll bump into you first though."

  
  


"See you soon," all three said as he prepared to leave.

  
  


"Until then," Fairchild said as he waved goodbye.

  
  


They watched the head of the United States Central Network walk away. "I hope it's soon," Frank said.

  
  


"Me too," Nancy agreed.

  
  


"Me three!" Joe said.

  
  
  
  


THE END

Responses to reviews left at for me at fanfiction.net - Not all reviews have a response-  
  
#1   
  
Review:  
"Thank you as always to all those that have read and reviewed this story so far- if you haven't reviewed yet, you might consider it! ;)"  
  
I haven't reviewed your particular story until now, but I felt obliged to after reading the above quote. I agree with you that authors deserve support for their stories to help keep the motivated, but how about you stop being such a hypocrite and actually take some of your own advice and start reviewing other people's stories for a change? I realize that to you it might seem like I am not supporting all authors by failing to review this earlier, but truth be told, I have been away for a while and have only just returned to the board and this is the first oportunity I have had to 'review' your story.   
  
Oh, and for your information, this review WASN'T because I have a story up here and you haven't reviewed, it is just a general observation. (LD: Yeah right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then why are you sooooooo emtional?)  
  
Maybe you should get you ass into gear and help support some of the other talented authors out there for a change,  
  
  
My answer to this review:  
  
I've posted an answer at the EZBoard at www.hardydetectiveagency.com - Its under "General Discussion" and titled: "Reply to a Scathing Review" If you're too lazy to go and look at your answer, basically it says you're a COWARD, and points out what an idiot you are, especially for not taking several things into ocnsideration. BTW: Everyone else thinks you're an idiot too. . . .   
  
  
  
Review:  
i say joe and vannessa or joe and elayne cuz joe is not a very important char in this story and i think u did NOT do a very good job with his personality. u potray him as a stupid little kid. and he is not.he is MY fav char and i think u SUCKED with his pesonality traits. he needs to bealittle more active in this story to make it better.i know alot of people dont like joe but i DO!!and u should respect everyones opionion no matter what u think  
  
MAKE JOE BETTER  
cutiepie  
  
My answer:  
  
I can respect people's opinions, that doesn't mean I have to BOW to them though. No matter how the wind blows the mountain cannot bow. I am the mountain and I have not, nor will I bow. If you have a problem with how you think I'm portraying or abusing a character instead of a flame you should e-mail me and discuss it. Someone else took the time to send me an intelligent and nice e-mail expressing their concerns about Joe, he told me WHAT bothered him, and WHY, and pointed out how I might portray him better. If you want me to change the way I portray something a flame only makes me dig in my heels.  
  
  
  
As for the all the other reviews, there are too many to address. I wish to thank all those who reviewed and did not flame. Your reviews support me very much. My next story will start at the end of this week.  
  
Thank You,  
  
Robert L. Scott  
Lord Dreadnault  
dreadnault@netscape.net  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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